This week we embraced October by taking my mother-in-law to visit the botanical gardens. It was like attending a grand gala, the trees and flowers dressed to the hilt against an azure sky.
Each year around Halloween, the gardens sponsor an exhibit of scarecrows, created by various organizations in town, everyone from third grade public school classrooms and girl scout troops to garden clubs.
Scattered around the gardens, these large fabrications were not scary at all but provided amusing artwork amidst the colorful foliage.
But scarecrows were not initially fabricated as Halloween decorations or even as autumn decor, but created out of desperation. Farmers had to find the means of keeping birds from eating and destroying their crops. This practice goes back as far as ancient Egypt. Originally workers shooed away the fowls, sometimes even employing children to throw rocks at the birds, but to keep everyone working the land, they discovered that erecting a large human-like presence stuffed with hay in the middle of the field made the birds think twice about scavenging the produce. These creations literally scared the crows.
It was the presence that changed everything.
As it still does in our lives, recognizing God's Presence wherever we may be. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalm 91. 4
We are not alone. Do not fear. I am with you. How many times does God have to remind us of the promise of His Presence?
How differently would we walk into our days knowing He is right here with us? God does not just show up. He is already here. We are the ones just now acknowledging His Presence...and not just in time of need.
Seek the LORD and His strength .
Seek His Presence continually.
1 Chronicles 16. 11
And that changes everything.
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