By Danielle Glaze
“There are two books through which God is speaking: the book of holy scriptures and the big book of the universe.” John Scotus Eriugena
Lil Red Bird
Cardinal by another name I call you Messenger of God Your bright red body whether it Be against the gray and brown of Winter. Or the bright green of Spring and Summer. You always get my attention And I dare not look away. As long as you stay, I watch. Messenger of God You remind me of the precious blood Shed on Calvary for me. It works and is still working. You remind me that the Lord is with me and Shows up in special ways to make sure I know. My daddy called you red bird. He said you show up as an ancestor or as a warning That pain is on the way. I say you show up to tell me God sees me and is with me. You show up to tell me that no matter what, God is present and will make sure I know it.
Lil Red Bird, thank you for making me take moments to Be still and know… Lil Red Bird thank you for the beauty that you are! Lil Red Bird you preach really well-be who you are…in season and out! Be brilliant in all your beauty, Let the Lord take care of you the way He takes care of me. Lil Red Bird thank you for reminding me… God is real, He knows me, He loves me, and He is with me. Lil Red Bird to God be the glory! Thank you. —Danielle Glaze
The older I’ve gotten and the more I know, the more I find God, hear God and see God in
creation. In the beauty of flowers and weeds, in the glorious sounds of birds singing in the
morning, and in the spectacular colors of the sun setting that could never be replicated.
Nature and especially birds remind me of the freedom and transcendence we have been
gifted by the Lord.
I would encourage you to take more time to allow nature to testify to you and encourage
you of God’s love and care for you. God speaks through all creation and since God takes
care of all the living things that don’t sow, be encouraged God will take care of you.
God especially speaks to me through cardinals. When I’m low or crying out in Spirit, they
appear in the least likely places and they remain as long as I’m willing to stay. I hear God
saying through their presence…I’ve heard you; I see you, I’m with you!
As Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV) says:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
PRAY, PRACTICE, PONDER
As a spiritual practice for today, take your Bible outside for an experience
of “dislocated exegesis.” Simply put, dislocated exegesis is reading a
biblical text in a different, perhaps surprising, place to see how our context
changes the way we hear God’s word and respond to God’s Spirit. Turn to
Genesis 1 or Psalm 19 and read about God’s creation as you dwell within
it. Notice how your experience of the text shifts due to your change in
context. Let this experience be your prayer.