Daily Archives: January 18, 2017

Do good, share with those in need!

“DO GOOD AND TO SHARE WITH THOSE IN NEED”

The residents of the Quiet Side of the Great Lake are used to sharing. By the name ‘resident’ I include the bird folk and creatures of this beautiful region.

The Bible tells us: …don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Hebrews 13:16 (NLT)

Our palm trees have excelled this year. Many trees have at least one bunch of fruit and we have nearly one hundred palm trees in our garden – it all looks very tropical. But so many bunches of fruit! Ultimately the bunches will all be cut down, but in the interim the fruit is being slowly demolished.

A nice ripe bunch!

In the early morning the Rainbow Lorikeets dominate the bunches. They come in pairs, and one guards from the top of the bunch while the other feasts on the fruit.

THE HUES OF RAINBOW LORIKEET ARE EXQUISITE

At the same time the little Noisy Miners attack the bunch from the bottom. Occasionally there are skirmishes, but it is all a part of the fun. As said in the movies, “no one was hurt in the process”.

NOISY MINERS

At night, the flying foxes attack the tree, and by morning we have a lot of half eaten fruit all over the ground. If we shine a torch on the tree we can see them hanging upside down swinging gently in the breeze or upright feasting away on the fruit.

GREY HEADED FLYING FOX – CUTE? BUT VERY MESSY

It’s amazing how God has engineered His creation to sustain itself!

We have a broken branch that sits on the edge of the lake. Depending on the tide and the wind direction sometimes it is surrounded by water, other times it is part of the shore. For months the perch belonged exclusively to a pied cormorant.

PIED CORMORANT
Of late a young egret has found the perch worthy of his presence. So now they share.
EGRET

What is interesting is all of the creatures share unselfishly. Occasionally there will be a friendly skirmish between the Noisy Miners and Rainbow Lorikeets, but mostly they tolerate each other. The Egret and the Cormorant don’t challenge each other for the perch. They only settle on it when it is vacant. They don’t covet.

Today’s revelation? “……do good, ….be rich in good works…be generous and ready to share…..”1 Timothy 6:18 ESV

We can all learn something from this!

Blessings,

Marilyn

Photos are the work of the author