Thursday, June 21, 2012

When Beauty Surprises


 I run outside for what I plan to be two minutes to grab some quick pictures of my beads shared yesterday. As I step under the grape arbor and am snapping a few photos - there is a rustling and whoosh over my head as a bird leaves the grape vines.

It is a mama Cardinal and I am instantly hoping there is a nest and that it has eggs in it and that I might be able to get a peek!

I spy the nest directly over my head where there is NO way I could see into the nest. 
Emily brings a stool and it does nothing to get me closer to seeing inside.
So, I go for the ladder.
The poor mama is in the nearby blueberry patch chirping something fierce at me and all the while I am hurrying as I really want a peek and a glimpse of this pure unadulterated beauty that has surprised me on a summer Saturday evening.


Ladder set up, rising up rungs, I catch my breath and there is the beauty that has surprised me.
Three perfect and beautiful eggs snuggled up in a perfect nest.
What a lovely place for a nest Mrs. Cardinal - you have a true eye for beauty!
I scurried down and let Emily climb up to see as well before hurrying in to put the poor dear out of her fear and panic. 


Beauty does surprise us sometimes. 
I wasn't headed outside on a hunt for a nest. Or even looking for beauty - but it found me and it overwhelms my finite mind when I think of all the hidden beauty that no one ever sees.
Yet, it is still His Creation and it praises Him!

I could have just heard the mama bird fly off and seen there was a nest and not embraced the beauty of the moment. Yes, it was more trouble to get out the ladder, I was concerned for worrying the mama and trying to hurry!

But, I let beauty find me today and I followed it for the pure joy of experiencing it.

Will you let beauty find you today?

9 comments:

Tim and Susan said...

Thanks for sharing your surprise with us.
Susan

Tim and Susan said...

Thanks for sharing your surprise with us.
Susan

Wendi said...

What a lovely surprise! Simple and beautiful. Glad you and Emily were able to enjoy it.

angie said...

It is my son's birthday today, and I plan to etch this first day of teenage-hood into my memory. For now, he is still sleeping~a sure sign of the times.
When we go to the lake, I will take the opportunity to walk around the grounds. So many sights, sounds, and smells to absorb. Beauty abounds...

~katie~ said...

The Lord provided us similar beauty this past weekend at Grandma's! :) We, too, like you, were concerned that the mama birds would be cautious of their little ones, so we didn't linger long taking pictures.

I also see beauty in this post ~ in your descriptiveness of the sounds and sights you experienced as this was captured and of the enthusiasm you display in finding beauty and giving glory to our God!

Beauty indeed! *Psalm 27:4* &hearts:

barbara said...

Thank you for the encouragement to slow down and look for beauty. I don't do this enough and God has created so much beauty for us to enjoy.

Sarah said...

Wow! I don't think I have ever seen cardinal eggs. What I really would LOVE to find is a hummingbird nest!

Anonymous said...

Oh Monica, I've just had a similar experience! Joanie was here last Sat. and we discovered a lot of twigs hanging from my hanging geranium on my balcony. We started to pull the twigs down, but decided there must be a bird's nest in there. The next day, I discovered the mama bird sitting there (I think it's a dove) So when she flew away, I reached up to feel the eggs that were in there. I told your mother about it & she forbid me to climb up and take a picture of the eggs, but I did get a picture of Mama bird sitting on her nest. I so hope I will be here when the babies are hatched, but I'm afraid I will be in Guatemala when it happens. (:

I have never experienced this before (Can you believe that?) so I would really like to be here when it happens!

Thanks for sharing yours!

Love you, Grandma

*carrie* said...

How funny that you and Katie both had nest posts on the same day!