To say that my son Keith is an incredible gardener would be an understatement, and I am usually not surprised when I see some extraordinary plant that he has nurtured. But last summer even I was amazed when I saw the fuchsia on his back deck, not one of those little baskets like I have but a bush, a large bush with hummingbirds feeding on it.
Hummingbirds are tiny, really, really tiny, and they hover in mid-air while taking nectar not just from feeders we may use but from the fuchsia as well. They are so tiny that if you blink, you might miss their darting in and out.
In addition to nectar, they also eat mosquitoes and other unpleasant summer burgs, but they face the same problem as do many other birds – loss of habitat. They need shrubs and shade trees, and, like us, they need water. The hanging fuchsia is in the perfect spot on my side porch. Hopefully God’s tiniest birds will find it.
Prayer for the Day
Acknowledging you as Creator, we come to you, O God,
Seeing the wonder of your creation even in a grain of sand;
Even the wolf and the bear, the lynx and the cougar call to you,
The tortoise and the hummingbird looking to you in silence.
Come, O God, and remind us that we are not the owners
Of your earth and your creation, but caretakers.
In the name of the One who stepped lightly on the earth,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
The hummingbird teaches us to transcend time, to recognize what has happened in the past and what might happen in the future is not nearly as important as what we are experiencing right now. It teaches us to hover in the moment, to appreciate its sweetness.
- Constance Barrett Sohodski, American writer
The daily hummingbird assaults existence with improbability.
- Ursula Le Guin, American writer (1929-2018)
You make springs gush for the in the valleys; they flow between the hills,
Giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst.
By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with your work.
You cause grass to grow for the cattle, and plants or people to use,
To bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the human heart,
Oil to make the face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.
Psalm 104: 10-15