Stop, Look, and Listen

Sometimes it's nice to revisit the past, just as long as we don't live in it. Memories can warm us when we stop to remember the multitude of God's blessings in our lives.

While looking for a past post that I wrote about a specific topic, I came across this post from January of 2008. I pray that this little story that happened to our family will warm your heart and remind you that God is in the little moments of our lives, giving us unexpected gifts when we make the time to stop, look, and listen.

Enjoy!

The mysterious sound of who-whooing sang from somewhere behind our house. I climbed out of our SUV and stood next to my six-year-old son in the wet grass. Jim slipped in the back door to retrieve a spotlight.

“Look, Joel.” I pointed to the barren treetops. “Somewhere out there is an owl.” We had just read the children’s story Owl Moon a few nights ago so my heart pounded with excitement as our own version of Owl Moon unfolded in our backyard.

I craned my neck, trying to spy the owl’s hideout. The tree’s spindled arms fanned out into slim fingers. A dark shadow sat high in a limb, silhouetted against the silver sky.

The whooing continued, echoing across the hundred-yard distance from the edge of the woods. I crouched next to my son. “Do you hear that Joel? Remember the story we read? There’s a real owl in one of those trees, just like in our book.”

Joel’s eyes widened like saucers.

“I’ve got it.” Jim raced down the back steps and clicked on the spotlight. A bright beam cut through the darkness. “There it is Joel. See its eyes reflecting the light? That’s an owl Joel.”

The corners of my mouth lifted in a smile watching my husband and son.

“Wait.” Jim strode to the edge of our property lifting the light above his head. “There are two owls in the tree.”

I plunged my hands deep into my coat pockets and lifted my eyes above the tree line. My thoughts drifted for a moment to the God of all creation, my Savior, Jesus Christ. I lifted a word of thanks to the One who turns darkness to light and who lets us experience the simple pleasures of life. On this night, it just happened to include two owls singing their winter song in a silver sky.


“I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.” Psalm 102: 6,7,12,17,18 NKJV Bible