Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Wednesday Nature Walk: Eyes Wide Open


It's Wednesday.
In western South Dakota, on this prairie, it is 2 degrees F.
My #naturewalk photos are from yesterday 
when it was a balmy 10 degrees.


You may take a peek at these pages for
glimpses into nature.

You can check out #naturewalk on facebook to find more images.


Here's a bit more of what I have to share with you today:




It feels more like February than mid-November.
The sandhill cranes are shocked into flying south.
Thousands flew over us yesterday feeling fooled by last week's
nature walk in the 50's and 60's.
They flew low enough to see their colors.
Stragglers coming later.
Calling
"Wait! Wait! We're coming!"

But the cold is altogether
different
in the minds
of
youth.

Before school,
usually
she drags feet.
But not at the sight of snow.
Snow is fire
lit beneath her
to
play.



She's the one who told me once,
"I'm going to go outside and live my life!"



And that is exactly what she does.
Pulling her sister and me out the door
to
live life
too.





Last week,
a dear friend
was laid to rest.

I was driving on the Interstate alone
the day I learned of her passing.

There was a nagging thought of guilt
creeping in and shaming me
for not getting there in time to see her again.

As the thought was about to settle over me
in a dark cloud of condemnation
I glanced at a semi-truck
on the opposite side of I-90.

Against a black trailer,
the letters rolled before me:

G
R
A
C
E
.

My breath caught.
I looked again.
GRACE Transport, Inc.
on the side of the truck.
And then it was gone.

But I got the message.

Grace.

With grace, the truck swept the condemnation cloud
down the highway
until it
dissolved.

GRACE.

Receive it.
So you can
Live it.
Live life like you mean it.




Sometimes . . . usually,
The Message 
pops up
where I least 
expect 
it.



Live life.
Wholly,
Fully.
With abundant love.
In all
the
seasons.






In the early morning
and
just
before
dark.



This morning I read from Mary Oliver's poem In The Storm.
Here is a verse to share with you:

Belief isn't always easy.
But this much I have learned ------
if not enough else -----
to live with my eyes open.


Eyes wide open.

In memory of Gaylene Morell.





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