Another lesson from nature

"beautiful on the outside"

Matthew 23:27

I went for a bike ride the other evening, with the Apple of my Eye, and our Amazing and Awesome kids.  A lovely excursion down the flattest path we could find in our hilly community.  The goal?  Bike until Mom can't go any more.  It was kind of a woodsy area, and we heard frogs and saw rabbits, which is a treat for us.  We know they're around, but we don't often take time to hang out with them  ;)

As we rode down the path, I saw something lying in the grass off to the side.  It was apparent that it was a critter of some kind, that had met some untimely demise.  At first I thought it was a rabbit, judging by the coloring and size, but as I got closer, I realized it was a bird ~ a hawk, I assumed ~ we see those around now and then.  But as I came up to it, I realized it was an owl.  A barn owl.

It was beautiful.  I stopped my bike, and Amazing Boy came back to take a closer look, too.  After all, we're a homeschooling family, and teaching opportunities are everywhere!

The interesting thing was, the bird looked fine.  One wing looked slightly askew, but there were no signs of injury.   So other than wondering how it had died, there was nothing to distract from how beautiful it was.  I've never seen a barn owl up close.  It was white and brown, and the feathers that were white were pure, snow-white.  The brown feathers were speckled, and a warm, sort of toasted-marshmallow brown.  Its heart-shaped face was also pure white, and perfect-looking.  And it had long, fierce talons, and a sharply-hooked beak.  Clearly, it was perfectly designed by the Creator.

And I found myself marveling at its beauty, and then thinking, with some irony, "it's so beautiful.... except, of course, for being dead..."

And then I thought about the Pharisees, whom Jesus called "white-washed tombs".  "You look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside you are full of the bones of the dead, and everything unclean."  Beauty on the outside does not translate to beauty on the inside.  Looks can be deceiving, and it's especially dangerous when it comes to the spiritual.  The Pharisees were perfect-looking models of obedience, but it was obedience to man's laws, not God's.

But there's also an important lesson for those of us who are not Pharisees.  Because we can look, on the outside, like someone God is pleased with.  Going to church, obeying the speed limit, donating to charity.  But on the inside we might very well be selfish, or prideful or motivated by glory.  And although that beautiful bird had talons and a beak and wings meant for specific purpose, because it was dead, though those features still existed, they accomplished nothing.  If we are not putting to His service the talents He gave us, we are no better.  Faith without works is dead.  (James 2:17)

It was sad to see such a beautiful creature lying dead.  But I was grateful for the opportunity to appreciate its beauty up close, and to be reminded of the beauty that God is looking for in each of us.

~ "Never be lacking in zeal, 

but keep your spiritual fervor,

serving the Lord." ~

Romans 12:11