Articles
Reflections - Red-bellied Woodpecker
R E F L E C T I O N S
Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith
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“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and
honor and power, for you created all things, and by your
will they existed and were created.” - Rev. 4:11
This is a female red-bellied woodpecker, a frequent visitor on our property and always a welcomed guest. She was checking out our feeders in hopes of finding some sunflower seeds or peanut butter. I love watching the intricate designs on her wings and the different ways she positions herself as she explores wherever she lands. She has a grace about her movements that fascinates me as she often just stops all movement and poses in a fixed position like a model on a runway. If it is attention she wants (and I am certain it isn't), she surely gets it from me. Life, in all its forms, is amazing. And how and why were all these things created? It was simply because God willed them to be created. The same God who created the vastness of the universe, also created the varieties of things that populate the universe. God, it seems, is concerned with both the macro as well as the micro of his creations. Each of his paintings are composed of a multitude of brush strokes and I, for one, am happy that one of his brush strokes was a red-bellied woodpecker. The fact that I notice some of his handiwork fills me with gratitude, and the fact that I don't notice so much more fills me with shame. The world is filled with witnesses to God's power and majesty. An atheist has no defense for his unbelief, and a Christian has no defense for his willful blindness. We are surrounded by witnesses that will some day either stand with us or will stand against us. All creation points to the Creator so we dare not ignore all those who point. There are none so blind as those who will not see. - John
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