ã 1997 - Elaine Chapman Stevens
It was Sunday, September 7, 1997. The day was
an almost perfect early autumn day in the Deep South - relatively cool, lengthening
shadows forecasting the coming of winter, sugar white cloud puffs suggestive of the cotton
growing the fields by the road, and a clear, bright blue sky reminding us that football
season was about to begin.
I had driven into town to make some copies and was returning
home, contemplating the beautiful weather and thinking about how, in just another couple
of months, most of the green would turn to brown, the leaves would fall, and a portion of
the nature world would take a nap in order to rest, and gather all its strength for the
coming of Spring.
Beside the road I travel every day is a small pond, probably an acre in size. Its
just an ordinary, shallow, irregularly shaped pond that offers a drink to the thirsty
cattle and the white cranes that are so common in our area, and also a cooling bath for
them during the hottest days. I had passed this pond an untold number of times but really
had given it no thought except during summer when it would completely disappear until the
fall rains filled it again. Then I would notice that it was not there.
But today, as I approached the pond, my attention was immediately attracted by its
beautiful color. Instead of its usual indistinguishable muddy hue, it was a bright clear blue,
like the sky. Then I realized, what I seeing was the reflection of the sky in the pond.
And around its edges were the snow white cranes. As if they had planned it, they
completely surrounded the pond, evenly spaced four or five deep around its edge, and the
ordinary pond became a delicate, lace edged, maple leaf shaped ornament for Mother Nature.
The blue pond, the white edging against green pasture, and the blue and white reflected in
the sky - it was breathtaking, and so extraordinary. I know that God must have planned
this for me to see, it was too uncommon to have happened accidentally.
Then I was struck by the similarity between this common, ordinary farm pond and
me.
Alone, it was just ordinary, nothing special, dull. But with Gods help it was
transformed into a thing of beauty, a very special creation. God will do the same for us
that He did for the pond, if we allow Him.