Messages From My Backyard

First Messages
Why am I so crushed over this loss? People lose stuff every day, don't they? Lot's of people lost something much worse this week than just a stupid job. I haven't even enjoyed working there for more than 2 years! I loved the early days there, but they're long gone. Why does this bother me so much?

Hope I'm not dying of a heart attack and don't have the sense to know it. If it's a heart attack, I think pain is supposed to shoot down my left arm. Or is it the right? I think 3 of 4 of my grandparents had heart conditions. Could there be some undiagnosed problem lurking? One that is waiting to break out during a high stress period such as now?

God, where are You? Someone needs your touch down here. Yohoo! If You don't get here soon, I might be joining You up there sooner than expected. Hello? Maybe I'm out of touch with Him. I'll take a walk in my backyard. In fact, I'll take my camera. The wildflowers are peaking. There's nothing more beautiful than Rocky Mountain wildflowers. Perhaps that will take my mind off of my situation and focus my thoughts on God's creations.


My first stop was a group of magenta flowers, which looked like they might be the mountain kin of honeysuckle. There was a bee drinking from the flowers. I really want that shot. Soon my "first moment of calm in a week" turned back to frustration. I just couldn't get the shot. Everytime I started to click, the bee was already on his way to the next flower. Be patient. Don't jump to the goal. I'll show you the way. Observe the bee's methodology. Ah, grasshopper. (Just kidding. I added that last part.)

I watched a single bee for several minutes. (Trust me, I come from Corporate America. Several minutes of watching anything is a very long time.) Promise fulfilled! I noticed something I had never noticed before. A bee works the same patch of flowers. He followed a precise order from flower to flower to flower. Then to the next plant sipping from flower to flower to flower. His only absences were when he went back to the hive (Or wherever bees go) to dump his load of nectar. He used the exact pattern and never skipped a bloom or even stopped at a flower out of order. Wait for the bee to land on the flower next to the flower you want to shoot. Focus the lens on the target flower. Then take the shot as soon as he lands. Trust that he'll be there. (No pun intended.)

Message One: "Be patient and I'll show you the way."

Message Two: "Learn to trust the methodology and designed order of My universe."

And the best message still waited for me. I normally walk the path next to the fence of my property so I don't have to give a lot of thought as to where I'll walk. I was pretty excited about what God has taught me. Suddenly and spontaneously, I walked through the forest instead of around it. Something bright red caught my eye. Usually anything bright red in my woods is trash. It's just not a common color. This object looked like a tomato, but how did it get there.

I walked over to my red blessing and found a pair of the most beautiful mushrooms I had ever seen just breaking through the loose dirt. The spotted caps were about 7" each in diameter. I couldn't believe it. They were Alice-in-Wonderland mushrooms! At that profound moment I realized that God had sent me a gift of beauty to lift my heart.

Message Three: "Take a different path and see what I do with your life."

I did some research and learned that ancient cultures considered these the mushrooms of the gods. My storybook mushrooms were reported to be poison by some and hallucinogenic by others. People dry them, then eat, drink, or smoke.

Squirrels devoured both mushrooms within 24 hours of my finding them. Still not sure if the little creatures died or are off having a good time somewhere in the purple, pine forest.

Wanted to share a photo of God's gift. He speaks so deeply through His beauty and truth.