WEDNESDAY, July 8

The back of our house has a covered patio facing a pond. The previous owners left wooden outdoor furniture, which was a luring refuge after hours of painting. The wide arm chair would call me to rest a spell.

The pond attracts varied wildlife. Birds of many species had visited the water, and binoculars were ever ready on the patio table.

This gorgeous new setting compensated for the twinge of sadness I felt leaving a beloved garden in the city, one I had worked on for decades in the hope of attracting "urban" wildlife.

One afternoon while seated in the chair, I closed my eyes and recalled the hummingbirds that delighted us while draining the feeders in my city yard. Would it be possible to attract hummingbirds to our new home way out here in the country?

Suddenly a loud vibration stirred me to attention. My eyes opened to see a hummingbird hovering inches from my nose. It looked at me for seconds, then darted away.

And so it is with God's law. The wonders of his creation are always before us, if we open our eyes.

PRAY for the Diocese of Kebbi (Province III, Nigeria)

Ps * 12, 13, 14; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Acts 10:1-16; Luke 24:13-35

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