I was wet with dew and crouching in the middle of the pasture to take pictures – as one does at 6 a.m. when the buttercups are blooming.
One particular buttercup in a cloud of the cheerful wildflowers drew my attention. Only two of the five petals had opened to the light. Early morning sun warmed the yellow ridges of one of the petals still cupping the bright green carpel. But, the background was shadowed enough to let the little flower stand out as it tilted heavy on its tender stem.
There were some odd filaments, though, that I just couldn’t figure out – until they started to move.
A tiny spider was at work in the blossom.
Two feet appeared just at the edge of one petal. I tried a different angle – just in time to catch three legs disappearing into the center.
I finally decided to just stay put and wait for him to move on to another flower.
But, he had no intentions of leaving.
As he worked his way up the side of a still upright petal, I maintained focus on his head and hoped he’d turn for a spider portrait before disappearing again. To my delight, he didn’t just stop and turn. He pulled himself up in a Clint Eastwood pose and ordered me off his lawn. I laughed. Out loud.
He disappeared for only a moment before mounting a full-on photo-bomb blitz! He was everywhere – and moving so fast he had the flower bobbing.
I finally gave up and ceded the buttercup to its determined and rightful tenant. After all, he had work to do. I was just playing and already had been in the flowers for over an hour.
I stood, stretched out the kinks, saluted his tenacity, and headed home for coffee.
~
Just an ordinary morning. Ordinary sunrise. Ordinary wildflowers. Ordinary little spider.
Or…
A morning of miracles. The luxury of time to take pictures at 6 a.m. Strong enough knees to crouch in a cloud of dewy buttercups and fleabane. Sunshine to warm flowers and wake a tiny spider to his work. Senses awake to the pastels of late spring, the squabbling of finches, and the smell the damp earth and flowers.
Nothing “just ordinary” about it. This was a miraculously beautiful ordinary.
Thank You, Lord. May I never lose sight of the beauty and the miracle of ordinary . Amen.
6 Responses
Delightful observations of not so ordinary ordinary. This is what we experience when the eyes of our hearts are focused on Jesus. Thank you for your reminder of the beauty and treasure of what God places in our path every day!
I love my early morning runs, even and almost especially when in the dark. I am thrilled when the stars/ and or moon are shining brightly overhead or when I hear the sounds of birds waking up for the day. I often spot deer or raccoons enjoying the undercover secret exploration of the night and even an occasional fox or “yikes”- a skunk. One of my favorite moments is when I catch the scent of fresh air whether ice cold or rain warmed earth. It reminds me that God is still taking care of his earth and brings a smile and a deeper inhalation of thanksgiving.
I love it, Cindy! You ARE celebrating the miraculous ordinary in your day! The birdsong early in the morning is also one of my favorite things. And, the scent of fresh air? Aaahhh… You have me smiling, too! Thank you for sharing.
Take care.
Deb
Deb,
When I see your posts, I stop everything I am doing, take a few moments and absorb your writings and photography. Absolutely beautiful – fails to give full credit to your amazing talents. Each time I am reminded that God is far too good to us. If only we could give back to him a small amount of what he does for us.
You , my dear friend, are my inspiration. You help me to be a better person and to give with all my heart.
Oh, Kim, thank you! I am so glad you enjoy the posts and pictures, and I am really glad that they remind you of His goodness!
You may not be out taking pictures of tiny wildflowers, but you do live your thankfulness day in and day out in all the ways you serve your family and church and community. Don’t ever lose sight of that, okay?
Thank you, again.
Take care.
Deb
Spider to Deb: “Are you looking at me?” He did have an attitude. Made me smile.
I’m glad he made you smile you smile, too, Jan. I love sharing!
Take care!
Deb