Purple Martins

by Macy Johnson

“When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, ‘Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. Bring back some of the fruit of the land.’

(It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)”

(Numbers 13:17, 20 NIV)

Early one Sunday morning, during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place, I slipped out onto my balcony to absorb nature’s unfolding beauty.

The sun peeked over the trees. Its fulgent reflection bounced off the water’s smooth face. A distant train whistle and concerto of bird songs filled the awakening sky while Purple Martins swooped through the cool, morning air. A lakeside hotel for our avian guests overshadowed gourd-shaped, individual Martin residences hanging on a wooden post.

Every spring these birds return to their original nesting sites. The clicks and whistles of their songs remind me of alien voices in the movie, “Signs.” We are fond of these fowl friends, because they diligently snap up flying insects while performing aerial acrobatics like US Navy jet pilots. They convoke high above the water in a crisscrossing manner, then swoop toward the dock, alarming anyone seated there. Occasionally during their dives they deftly tap the waterline to scoop up a drink.

In late morning hours the Martins launch on an adventure to a nearby place to feed and play. Then one day in late summer they vanish into the blue, back to their South American residences.

Moses sent spies into the Promised Land at the time of the first grapes’ harvest so they could experience God’s goodness and never forget His blessings. Timing in His kingdom is significant. His seasons are perfect. His reflection in nature makes life more beautiful and calls us to worship Him.

I will thank my heavenly Father for His perfect timing and revelations of Himself in all of His creation. I hope you will, too!