Written by Bridge Church Elder Bill Erickson
I’m sitting in our sunroom this morning having my first cup of coffee. A new day is dawning and a new year. The glow of the little stove in the corner adds light as well as warmth. Our faithful dog, Scout, is laying beside me in front of the fire. As it begins to get light, I see the little golden eyes on the river already practicing their water ballet. As they drift along with the current, they turn somersaults all together in close sequence. Then, having floated for some distance down the river, they take flight north again to start the performance all over again. When they take flight, you hear a whistling sound made because the bones in their wings are hollow. Isn’t that amazing? What kind of a God would design such creatures to be so entertaining? Along with watching the ducks, I noticed a squirrel scampering across the snow, and over further was a doe feeding on some dried leaves behind the shed.
As I watched this new day dawn, I thought of Irish poet and hymnwriter Cecil Frances Alexander’s classic children’s poem, All Things Bright and Beautiful.
All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.Each little flow’r that opens,
each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colors,
God made their tiny wings.The purple-headed mountain,
the river running by,
the sunset, and the morning
that brightens up the sky;The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden,
God made them, ev’ry one.God gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well.
In the creation account in Genesis 1, there is a recurring phrase, “…God saw that it was good.” When He is finished, verse 31 says, “Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!”
Maybe you are still trying to make sense of the craziness of the year past and feeling overwhelmed to face a new year. Rest assured that a God who creates ducks with whistling wings will surely take care of you! Trust Him today. He has made all things well.
Bill Erickson
