Scarlet Tanager

A scarlet tanager zipped through the green pines, a streak of bright red against the backdrop of dark green. Breathtaking! Scarlet tanagers are red only in early summer during mating season. Later, the secretive bird turns brown and is difficult to see.

Needless to say, there is a short window of opportunity to see one. Because I was watching, I saw their brilliant flash of color again this year. Sighting a scarlet tanager is one of my favorite achievements but I could have easily missed it –except that I’ve learned what to look for and recognized the signs and season.

Isn’t that like the things of the Spirit? It’s when we’re watching for God that we see Him. It’s when we’re expecting to see His deeds that we recognize them when they happen. God doesn’t force us to see—but He provides ample opportunity for us to observe if we will.

How about you? Were you spared from tragedy when others around you were not? Did the biopsy come back negative? Was the check really in the mail? Did the smoke alarm go off in spite of old batteries? Did the truck swerve back into its lane just in time? Have you seen the hand of God at work in your life?

Remember the scarlet tanager flying through the stand of pine trees. Look up –you’ll see God at work in your world. It’s His season. He wants you to see.

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
John 3:4