Wood Stork flying away.....
Psalm 37:4
Delight thyself also in the Lord:
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Photos by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Story by Norma Beaird
I want to share a story that may help to build your faith. Sometimes, God meets us right where we are. Sometimes, He uses the simplest things to let us know that He is near and knows our innermost thoughts.
A few weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to have a personal tour of a popular National Wildlife Refuge on the Georgia Coast to see a rookery of Wood Storks. We were so excited, but then realized that we couldn't work out the schedule to take the trip. Needless to say, Curtis and I were both disappointed because we were going to have an amazing opportunity to photograph Wood Storks.
Anyway, we were feeling a little discouraged as we were driving down a country road here in Montgomery County. Backing up for a bit of history.....as most everyone probably knows by now, Curtis and I have been documenting birds in Montgomery County for 3.5 years. We submit our reports to Cornell University's eBird. We had seen a Wood Stork at Little Ocmulgee State Park in Telfair County over a year ago, but we had never seen one in Montgomery County; thus, the opportunity to get a personal tour of a National Wildlife Refuge was extremely exciting.
So.....back to our disappointment and the story......we ride down this certain country road a lot. On this particular road, we have seen birds like turkey, crows, cardinals and owls, but the trees are so dense in this area, that you don't see a lot of birds in the pines. Anyway, here we are riding in the Jeep....and Curtis says, "What is that in the middle of the road?".....and then he stops. We had a camera with the long zoom lens, so I said, "I'll get the camera!"
We couldn't believe it - it was a WOOD STORK!!! He was walking down a country road. We had NEVER seen a Wood Stork in Montgomery County, much less on this road. What are the odds of driving in the country and seeing a Wood Stork just casually walking on the other side of the road?
So, my lesson for today......God knows the desires of our hearts, and He knew that we were disappointed that we couldn't work out the schedule to go see the Wood Storks; therefore, He sent one to us. I must say that my faith was increased. We are grateful to God for sending us a beautiful Wood Stork in the most unlikely place.
This story lets me know once again that......no matter how big or how small, God cares about our concerns, joys, disappointments and requests. He cares about every detail of our lives. He truly cares for us. He has the hairs on our head numbered (Matthew 10:30) and He knows the birds that we want to photograph!
This picture below is not completely clear because it was taken through the windshield, but that's okay, because God sent us a Wood Stork!
A Wood Stork is walking down a country road in Montgomery County, Georgia. When I got out of the jeep, he turned and walked into the grass. I guess he's a little camera-shy!
Copyright 2015, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
