“Mr. Francis”

“Ask the beasts, and they will teach you the beauty of this earth…”                                      St. Francis of Assisi

“Mr. Francis”. That was the name given to our statue of St. Francis of Assisi by my son’s baseball friend many years ago. Saint Francis presided over our pond and garden area for many years until his untimely fall, occasioned by a neighborhood cat this past winter.  The statue shattered in the frozen air, and we have yet to replace him.

I contend though, that his spirit still rules the area. Our pond and backyard remain the home to five frogs, one very large “mutt” goldfish who has dominated the pond since his placement about seven or eight years ago, and various snails and possibly a few snakes.

Near the pond are two birdfeeders, one filled with thistle for the goldfinches, and one filled with sunflower seeds for the house finches, cardinals, wrens, and other assorted winged creatures. In other words, our backyard is somewhat of an animal sanctuary. The squirrels feast on what drops from the sunflower seed feeder, and some unknown critter continues to bring a little gift of abandoned wasp nests to our deck stairs.   

My point here is that we love to be part of the array of life that graces our backyard. I think that we are called, as much as we are able, to live harmoniously with creation. Yes, indeed, in the past my son and I did battle with some invasive raccoons (a story that deserves its own space), but by and large, we love to witness and protect the natural wildlife around our house.

We constantly are amazed at the beauty and grace of nature around us. I think in that small way, we are heeding the command for us to live peaceably with creation, and to see it as God’s handiwork.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the marvelous diversity of creation, Amen