Tag Archives: Psalm 139

ON SEEING A GRACKLE IN THE POND-SHORE CATTAILS

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On Seeing a Grackle in the Pond-shore Cattails

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people who shall be created shall praise the LORD.

(Psalm 102:18)
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (male)
Charles J. Sharp / Wikipedia photo credit

Last weekend, I drove past a familiar Texas pond, where 11 years ago I saw a “common” black-feathered bird (i.e., Quiscalus mexicanus = Great-tailed Grackle, to be exact), and was then jolted by an “uncommon” (and somewhat-scary) realization – God could have made me a grackle! 

Days later, during the summer of AD2012, I reported this important thought (and attitude fo gratitude) within an article [“Grackles and Gratitude”, ACTS & FACTS, 41(7):8-10 July 2012), posted at www.icr.org/article/grackles-gratitude ] about how uniquely and personally each one of us is, created by the Lord Jesus Christ, as exactly the specific individual that each one of us is. 

When was the last time that you saw a bird—perhaps a grackle or a pigeon—and shuddered with the scary realization: That could have been me! Maybe you have never thought about a grackle that way. Yet it is true—God did not need to make us just as we are. He had many other options. God could have created each of us as a bird, a butterfly, or a basalt rock. God could have made you or me a uranium-bearing rock, a nudibranch, an ice worm, a quince fruit, an ultraviolet ray, or an egret. [Notice the acrostic in the previous sentence: U.N.I.Q.U.E.!]

Yet, He deliberately chose otherwise. He chose to make us one-of-a-kind humans. What a fearful and wonderful reality!…

Surely we should thank Christ for being our very personal Creator. So the next time you see a grackle, think thankfully for a moment, “That could have been me!” And be grateful to your Creator, who made you a unique, one-of-a-kind creation.

[Quoting JJSJ’s “Of Grackles and Gratitude”)
GRACKLE ON CATTAILS (BirdNote / Gary Leavens photo credit)

So, what an echo from yesteryear it was, last weekend, when I spied another “common” grackle (actually a Great-tailed Grackle, which is common in Denton County, Texas), ambling about the littoral cattails of that same pond that I drove by more than a decade ago. 

Whew!  What a journey the past 11 years have been, as I quickly recall and reconsider (and gratefully appreciate) God’s many personal and providential blessings unto me – including His kind and caring blessings that continue to make me the individual man I am – along with the many other blessings of His redemptive and always-sufficient grace, over those 11 years since that important icterid-aided insight. 

Plus, the best is yet to come (Luke 10:20)! So, thinking of Psalm 102:18, I close this nostalgic memoir with a limerick:

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE, ON SEEING A GRACKLE IN THE CATTAILS

Some troubles, in life, we must tackle,

Threatening us, with harm, like a jackal;

     Yet life, itself, we can face,

     Since life, itself, is God’s grace —

Each of us, God could’ve made, a grackle!

COMMON GRACKLE on Cattail
(National Park Service photo credit)

From The Deepest Wilderness, To The Most Crowded Cities

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From the deepest wilderness, to the most crowded cities

The great thing about enjoying birds is that you can experience that joy just about anywhere you go! Even if we’re shut indoors at a meeting or conference, we can simply pick the seat next to the window and find our avian friends.

In his chapter in the book Good Birders Still Don’t Wear White, author and birder Noah Strycker wrote, “The beauty of birds is that they are everywhere, from the deepest wilderness to the most crowded inner cities.”

I usually find the Hermit Thrush in one of the more deeply wooded areas of my regular birding routes. Walton County, GA. November 2018 by William Wise.

And the great thing about being a Christian is that we can engage with our Creator anywhere we are! Whether we are admiring His handiwork on a nature hike, lifting up His name in organized worship, or slipping into a closet during a stressful day at work to call upon His name, our God is ever-present.

In the book of Psalms, David wrote, “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” Psalm 139:8-10

Mourning Dove on roof top, Athens, Georgia USA

Just like the birds, “from the deepest wilderness, to the most crowded cities”, our God is there!

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104 The Message

Hi, I’m wildlife photographer and nature writer William Wise. I was saved under a campus ministry while studying wildlife biology at the University of Georgia. My love of the outdoors quickly turned into a love for the Creator and His works. I’m currently an animal shelter director and live in Athens, Georgia with my wife and two teenage daughters, who are all also actively involved in ministry. Creation Speaks is my teaching ministry that glorifies our Creator and teaches the truth of creation. I am also a guest author at Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures and The Creation Club. — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104, The Message.