Reflections

Gardening mavens tout the benefits of incorporating water features into home landscapes. Moving water soothes, still water reflects, and all water attracts wildlife. So Pat and I installed a small pond and two birdbaths in our back yard.

We purchased pond plants and goldfish, and then sat back to enjoy the benefits of our water features. Birds came, but so did the raccoons! Plants were toppled. Goldfish disappeared. But despite these nuisances we have decided... the pond and the birdbaths are here to stay!

The pond is the initial attention getter. It incorporates a fountain and a watercourse; you hear it before you see it. Visitors look for the source of the sound and delight when they find it. But while the pond sounds soothing and looks attractive, it isn't very practical as a "watering hole." The recirculating water has a chemical added to control algae. The water's surface is well below the rim; it is out of the reach of (and too deep for) birds.

The birdbaths are the mainstays of our water features. The "crow birdbath" is located under the hemlocks at the back of the yard away from the house. It attracts larger birds: woodpeckers, ravens, and... crows. We keep binoculars in the kitchen window for closer observation of the birds at this feature.

The second birdbath is next to the house beside the pond just outside Pat's window. It attracts smaller songbirds who flit about in the shrubbery in that part of the garden. Both birdbaths can been seen from the kitchen, family room, or living room. Pat and I frequently can be heard shouting to each other, "Quick! Look at the birdbath!"

The birdbaths do more than attract birds, they also reflect light--both sunlight and moonlight. The reflected light shimmers when the breeze ripples the water, and I often find myself mesmerized by the scintillation as I stand at the sink washing dishes.

Of course it's the water that attracts. The pond and the birdbaths themselves are merely vessels. And if these vessels aren't tended regularly--cleaned and filled--they can become repositories for all kinds of debris. They can even become breeding grounds for mosquitoes... and the most attractive features of the back yard then become detriments.

We too are vessels that need the ongoing cleansing and filling of the Holy Spirit if our lives are to consistently reflect our faith and attract others to the Savior. If we neglect the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, regular prayer, and Christian fellowship, then we begin to collect the debris of the world. And what should be attractive to others--a life that reflects the living God--becomes a detriment.

Who (or what) are you reflecting these days?

Pastor Kit