God's Egg

2 weeks!! That's it. 2 weeks of summer left. Summer gets shorter every year. It seriously does. I remember growing up distinctly starting school in LATE August. Like the 26th or something. Now we register on the 9th. The NINTH!! We don't get August anymore. August is a school month. I wish we would just cut to the chase and do the year round thing. Come on! 9 weeks on...2 weeks off. That's what I want. Who's with me? Cross Country starts Monday. I'm really excited. I hope my team is as excited. Come on - running in this heat = FUN! I know they feel the same. We actually are starting tonight. I sent out an email to the team telling them I had decided to have a pre-season Ultimate Frisbee game tonight...totally optional....just for fun. I sent it out to the 40ish runners and waited for all the responses. 6 are coming. Six. Go team! I know, I know. It's last minute. Several are on trips or had plans. I can't blame them. So needless to say, it's gonna be small teams. But I'm still excited. I love playing UF.

I changed my FB profile picture. It wasn't easy. Part of me didn't want to and I know I didn't have to. I could've kept it the same forever. But it's just a small way to show that everything is ok. It's a small way to tell God that I trust in Him. He knows what's best. I don't have to dwell on anything sad because it's all good. Griffin's good. He's happy. I'm happy. I need to look ahead to when I will see him again and be even happier. To when I will see God and be something more than happy that I can't even understand right now. I changed it to the picture of God showing his love to me there on the beach. I love that picture because it's so easy to see God in it. And you know, I can see Griffin in that picture too.

God continues to speak to me in ways that are small and big. He continues to reassure me and show His obvious love for me and my family. He even uses others to share things with me and tell me things He wants me to do. God talks if you just listen. Funny how I really didn't take the time to listen until recently. Here's what he showed me in the last couple of days....

Remember the birds. Remember how when we got home from vacation and I was afraid I left God at the beach. But then I saw what God had done right outside our house. He created baby birds that had just hatched and were beautiful. I showed this picture:

Remember how I said that actually 2 had hatched and one hadn't quite gotten there just yet. We've been watching these birds the last few weeks. We've looked at them almost every day trying very hard not to disturb them too much. When we would get close, we could see the mother sitting on them but she would see us and fly to a branch on a very nearby tree. She'd watch us, probably thinking very mean thoughts. They slowly got bigger and bigger. It's funny, we knew there were 3 but it seemed we only saw 2 whenever we looked. I just assumed one was small and hidden under the others. About a week ago, I went to look once again and one of the little birds was standing on the edge of the nest. I quickly tried to back away trying not to scare him but it was a little too late. He took off. Oops. I hope he was ready to fly. He kindof disappeared into the tree. I really didn't mean to give him that push and I kindof felt bad. But I assume he's fine. We didn't hear or see him again. After he left, I could still only see one bird in the nest. Again, I assumed the other was hidden or had already flown away. The next day, I looked again and the 2nd bird that was easy to see had gone. But I didn't see an empty nest. Here's what I saw:

The third egg never hatched. Something must have gone wrong. I watched the egg for a few more days this week but it's still there. It's not going to hatch. The first 2 baby birds made it. The third did not.

Can anyone tell me that's not God talking!?

Here's what God said to me through that.....'You're not alone. These things happen. It's part of this world I created. And it's not a perfect world. I AM perfect, but the world is not. Bad things will happen. But rest assured and be comforted because you are heading to a place very soon where bad things will NEVER happen. There will be no sadness. No loss. No "unhatched eggs." Keep striving to do My will and I will bring you to Me soon to see your son and My son. '

Yep, I got all that from an egg. Funny, huh? But it's true. I don't know if that mama bird up in that tree felt sad. I'm not a big expert on bird emotions. But I felt sad for her. But it's ok. God's in charge. And He is good. He's faithful and He's preparing us all for a wonderful place beyond our comprehension. I don't know if there are birds in Heaven. I've never heard a sermon on that one. But today I'm imagining Griffin with a big smile on his face, holding a baby bird. Maybe that's silly, but it gives me comfort.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert