I miss the small lake that sat right in front of my house, when I lived at the other end of town, but I have a multitude of memories that surface every now and then.
The lake is about a mile or two around and I couldn’t begin to count the number of times we walked that lake…and always saw something different each time.
At one end is a waterfall that cascades down into a small creek that winds its way to a park where children play and a Pavilion near a tiny pond that is full of winter activity when it freezes.
Our College sits on one side. A magnificent reflection of the work of Douglas Cardinal…all round edges and spouts the reputation of not having a square corner in it.
The walk includes two small bridges that reach across a creek filled with ducks, geese and bulrushes. It is really is a walk of wonder and we always enjoyed it.
One day we were on a search for geese. We had seen them on the lake but hoped some more would fly over so our eyes were not only on the shore line but mostly on the heavens.
We started across the bridge when I softly called out to my husband,”Stop, stop, look, right there in front of you, coming across the bridge.”
And there they were, six geese also going for a walk, not ten feet from us. They stopped and we stopped. Then very slowly we back tracked off the bridge into the surrounding willows.
We watched as they continued their march and plodded their way up the hill to greener pastures. What a moment!
Often the things we search for in the heavens are right there at our feet if we will just notice them. There are small babies to smile at and play peek-a-boo with, diamonds in the snow, and hugs, smiles and tears to share with friends. There are dozens of ways right there before us of experiencing and sharing God’s love. Things in heaven are worth waiting for but the things of earth can be experienced every day, right now.
Photograph by Gidzy from England (Canada Geese, Leighton Moss August 2009) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
