The Lesson of the Loon

The Lesson of the Loon.

When I originally wrote this, we were at Bible College, Key-Way-Tin Bible Institute. It was Saturday, June 25, 1994, close to the end of our second year in Alberta.

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I woke up early. Everyone else was still asleep. My husband, James, lay asleep on the couch. I guess he hadn’t wanted to disturb me late last night.

I got my morning tea and stole quietly out of the house and down to the lake. I sat on a crate down there. Oh how the bones creaked and the muscles ached! I felt so tired, so sick, so beaten. I cried out in sorrow inside, “I have sinned against You. I have sinned against You!” I knew I should have been praying, but realized that I hadn’t taken the proper time lately….only quick emergency prayers! I cried and cried, and then a sense of peace and healing gradually came over me

I watched the calm water of the lake and Psalm 23 went through my mind. Surely He had led me beside the still waters. Surely He was restoring my soul! I sang Psalm 23 quietly, savouring the words for myself.

“The Lord’s my Shepherd

I’ll not want.

He maketh me down to lie

In pastures green

He leadeth me

The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again

And me to walk doth make

Within the paths of righteousness

E’en for His own name’s sake.

Yea though I walk through death’s dark vale

Yet I will fear none ill

For Thou art with me

And Thy rod

And staff me comfort still.

Goodness and mercy all my life

Shall surely follow me

And in God’s house forevermore

My dwelling place shall be.”

I felt the peace of God beginning in my heart in that place. I watched birds fly. I saw insects crawl. I listened to the bird song. How lovely.

I felt wonder at God’s creation, at the simple beauty of it. What did God think of all our striving, our busying, our frenzied running about? I wondered if He just wanted us to simply ENJOY His creation! Are we totally missing the mark? We are so wrapped up in EVENTS and THINGS when we need to just REST in HIM!

I spotted a couple of loons. One was a distance away and seemed to be calling the other one. The smaller one hurried towards the bigger one, then it paddled alongside, and looked the other in the face every so often.

It seemed that God spoke to me then, saying that I need to hear Him calling “Come.” I need to get close to Him, stick beside Him, and look Him full in the face. As the bird carefully preened its feathers, it seemed God was saying, “Prepare yourself. Become clean, pure, spotless before me, in My presence”

Suddenly, the two loons dived. They were gone! I looked over the waters, searching for them for quite a few minutes, until the bigger loon surfaced, quite a way off. It began calling. On the second call, the smaller loon surfaced, listened for another call, located the bigger bird, and went rapidly swimming toward it.

I thought of how we sometimes get burdened down, sucked under, and lost, by the weight of problems, worries, and cares, but how God is really there with us all the time, even though we lose sight of Him. He calls out to us, wanting us to rise above the circumstances, and we need to listen and rise up ready to meet with Him again.

It was just a beautiful illustration of God’s perfect love for us. I felt joy in my being. I knew that God’s work in me that morning was complete. I knew it was time for me to thank Him in prayer for teaching me so gently and so beautifully. It was time for me to go home, to get on with what I had to do in my life, knowing that God loves me with an everlasting love.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Jeremiah 31:3

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Be BLESSED!

Ann

NB. typed from handwritten journal notes dated June 25, 1994