I love birds.
Apparently (or so my social media algorithm tells me), some people get to their 30s and discover that birds are the most fascinating creatures and become obsessed with them. Not me! I didn’t have to wait until my 30s for this fad to hit. I have always loved birds. Growing up I had budgies and cockatiels that I hand raised. My husband is also a bit of a ‘twitcher’ (bird watcher), and his enthusiasm has only fuelled my own love of birds. We often find ourselves stopping to watch birds going about their day, admiring not only their beauty but also the incredible way they have been designed. The more I learn about them, the more I am amazed by the intricate details found in creation.
More recently, I have become fascinated with the design of birds. For example, did you know that the woodpecker has a soft skull that acts like a shock absorber every time it pecks wood to help protect it from getting serious brain damage? Or that the design of the Kingfisher’s beak helps it penetrate water at great speeds without causing resistance?
In fact, the design of the Kingfisher’s beak was looked at closely by engineers when troubleshooting a micro sonic boom that was happening when Japan’s bullet train exited a tunnel. As the train travelled through the tunnel at high speed, compressed air built up in front of its rounded nose. When the train emerged from the tunnel, this compressed air was released suddenly, creating a loud booming sound that disturbed both residents and wildlife. The nose of the train was actually re-designed to match the Kingfisher’s beak and the sonic boom problem was solved!
Our memory verse for these past 2 weeks comes from Colossians 1:16:
“For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
We don’t have to look very far to see evidence of intellectual design in the naturalworld around us – just look at the birds and the remarkable design of the Kingfisher’s beak! I love that this memory verse is really spelling it out for us God created all things! And if you weren’t sure what that means, Paul, the writer, spells it out – things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, thrones, powers, rulers or authorities.
But! – let’s not forget the 3 little letters in this verse that repeats over and over again ‘Him’.
The ‘Him’ is referring to Jesus – Jesus was there when all things were created, in fact, without Him, nothing was created. The last 2 words in our memory verse reveals the purpose though. The purpose of all of these amazing creations, the purpose of the Kingfisher, the purpose of you, the purpose of the students – is for Him and His glory- it is all for Jesus!
So my encouragement to you this week is to STOP! Look around at creation – dig a bit deeper into why things are the way they are – because this didn’t happen by accident, it has been made in, through and for Jesus – to show the magnificence of Him! Spending time with Jesus, spending time looking at creation is good for us. Just to pause for a few moments in our day is a skill and a gift we can teach our kids in our fast paced world.
As much as I would encourage you all to go and look at the birds, we don’t even have to go that far. Take a moment with the people around you – your friends, your kids – take a moment to marvel at how they have been wonderfully created. School this term has been packed with students participating in the school play, competing at state level, and pursuing a wide variety of opportunities. As I write this, I am looking at a merit certificate sitting on my desk that reads ‘for showing persistence and great problem solving skills to complete coding tasks’. We do not run short of things to marvel at here at PCS! Our students have been created to reveal the wonder, awe and majesty of our Great God. Let’s help them to see, tap into and fulfill the purpose of their lives.
‘For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen’ – Romans 11:36
Kate