A Splash of Color

"A Splash of Color"  copyright 2011, C. Schroeder, All rights reserved.

The day brings us such interesting things.  Sometimes we go along in our lives, almost bored with things, and then a splash of color catches our eye, and there is magic again.  Yesterday was full of such color for me, and I felt alive all morning, tingling with the excitement of the magic.  To begin with, we had quite a lovely dusting of snow, and my early morning drive over to a nearby village, was absolutely breathtaking.  The sun was breaking through a heavy fog, and the result was exquisite.  (What a day to have forgotten my camera!)  Then on the way, on the side of the road in a field, about 7 or 8 feet from the car, was a huge bird.  As I got closer I saw it was a bald eagle which had caught something.

Later that morning as I was driving to the grocery store, there was a gull in the middle of the road, just sitting there.  I'd seen this kind of thing before.  After I had parked the car, I took a blanket and walked back to where the gull was sitting in the middle of all that traffic.  The poor thing was terrified and scooted away from me, revealing an ugly mess of intestines on the cement.  (sorry for the graphic description, but it's important you are aware of it for the story.)  She was so beautiful, white with brown speckles.  I spoke gently to her, trying to calm her, and then threw the blanket over her and gathered her up in my arms, trying to be very careful of her injuries and carried her back to my car.

Taking the gull to the vet was a little bit of a drive, and so on the way over, I laid my hand very carefully on the blanket and prayed for her.  She wasn't fighting or moving much.  I asked St. Francis for some help.  He's a particular friend of mine, and doesn't seem to mind that I'm not Catholic.  My cd was playing as I've been trying to bone up on lyrics for a concert coming up, it was on "Good Shepherd of my Soul."    And the car seemed full of a quiet, loving presence

We arrived at the vet and I carefully gathered the gull back up into my arms and took her into the building.  I spoke with a young woman, and soon someone had come to get the bird and take her into the back room.  I waited a few minutes and the young woman came out with my blanket.   She had a puzzled look on her face.

"So, did you see the bird get hit?"

"No.  She was sitting in the middle of the road.  But couldn't fly when I approached her, and there was a mess on the road."

"There was no blood, no broken bones.  There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all."

I must have looked a bit skeptical.

"We'll keep her in the icu for a while and see how she does.  Maybe it's just the cold and she was tired.   If she is injured, which doesn't appear to be the case, we'll find a bird rehabilitator.  Thanks for bringing her in."

And I left.  Puzzled myself.  Until finally, several hours later, telling the story to a friend, another possibility entered into the picture.  Maybe a miracle.

Not very scientific of me.  And there must have been another explanation, right?  There had to be.  And yet...that "buzz" from earlier in the morning hadn't left me.  Magic?  God's intervention for a little bird?  I don't know.  It sounds wildly implausible.  But I'm given to believing in the impossible.  This Jesus I follow has a way of surprising me.

Hmmmm.  What do you think?

The day continued with other minor miracles, and best friend JS arrived for a pillow fight which left me laughing heartily.  And then I collapsed, so tired I could barely move.  What an amazing day.

I wonder what today will hold!!!  Adventures are waiting.