Photo Credit: Sinclair Oldfield Photography (used with permission)
Isn't it strange how the common blessings often are overlooked? The relief of an afternoon walk in the fresh, cool air of dusk at the end of a long day is one such daily blessing that refreshes my soul. Glancing at the sky to judge how much light the day has left to give, I hastily grab my shoes and head for the door as pinks and purples start to tinge the edges of the bright blue sheet above me.
The birds have started their afternoon song as I head down the road, my faithful furry companion keeping pace at my side. Pausing by the barbed-wire fence of the farmland at the bottom of the hill, we wait awhile for the common little bird to return to his afternoon hunting spot. The sheep continue grazing peacefully in the paddock beyond the fence - they have long since learnt our routine.
The flash of cobalt, indigo and turquoise announces our little friend's arrival. Alighting on the telephone poll that is his regular perch, he is immediately frozen, poised for sudden flight should he see an unsuspecting insect in the field below. Still as stone, like a beautiful carved piece of fine artwork, his golden chest catches the warm light of the setting sun. The precision of his movements, each turn of the head a deliberate and calculated act, the speed with which he can take off and land again with his unsuspecting prey caught in that lethal beak, is something that continually takes my breath away. Though common, this little bird - my daily little blessing - is a little taste of the beauty and complexity of his Creator. I smile, lifting my eyes to the brilliant colours of the sunset in it's last moments before the fiery amber ball disappears behind the last hill. And I thank my God for His daily blessings - daily little reminders of His love.
- Subject Matter: Animal/Wildlife
- Collections: Treasures of the Great South Land