Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, May 4, 2024

This year I’ve been affected more than usual by tree pollen, and have done my share of sneezing and consuming the occasional Allegra pill. And I’ve noticed the way the pollen collects on cars, mine included. In the photo you see my windshield, which—along with the entire car—I have simply decided not to wash until the plague has passed.

“Plague,” of course, is a vastly brutal word to use about pollen. This yellow dusting is actually made up of some pretty astounding structures. At the end of this blog I’ll give you the Wikipedia entry link for “Pollen,” and I suggest you take a look at it. What breathtaking engineering. (Make sure you study the electron-microscope photo!)

But in this blog I’m not so much focused on Intelligent Design as I am on another attribute of God: His superabundance. Do you see that pollen on my car window? It was created to land on trees and germinate them, but these little spores will never make it to a welcoming sapling. Instead, they’ll be washed down the drain along with billions of others on hundreds of thousands of cars.

“How wasteful!” someone might say. But “How generous!” is a more spiritually perceptive response. God is superabundant in so many ways. Upon faraway mountain meadows, for example, millions of wildflowers grow, many doomed to fade without having been observed by a single human eye.

But that’s what God is like.

First, take a look at the Wikipedia link, then at the one below it, which is about what God is like.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/god

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, May 3, 2024

On my usual brisk after-breakfast walk this past Monday, I was delighted to discover this little scene in someone’s front yard. As I’ve observed over the past couple of weeks, these homeowners have been seeking to improve their yard by first of all acquiring small landscaping blocks and mortaring them together to enclose some decorative rocks, as you see at the lower left.

And now they’ve turned their attention to the patch of grass, and have cordoned this off with yellow tape and a firm “No Trespassing” sign. I’m not exactly sure what they have yet done to the grass to make it too sensitive to human footfalls, but you see what I see.

But what gave me the grins was the tranquil bunny parked on the grass, totally oblivious to the meaning of the sign or the yellow tape.

It makes me think of the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve chose to distrust God’s words in favor of the snake’s, God banished the couple from the Garden, specifically so that they would not continue to eat from the Tree of Life, and this become eternal sinners. And after the couple had walked out through Eden’s entrance, God placed a very effective “No Trespassing” message there — an angel with a sword.

But threading its way through the centuries since then, the Gospel story—growing in clarity and culminating in Christ—reveals to us, in the last chapter of “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” the joyous truth that Eden will be open to us again!

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1 – 5 NKJV)

For more about our heavenly home, check out this link:
Heaven (bibleinfo.com)

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, May 2, 2024

My father-in-law showed me this picture he took of his old orchard truck with a wood cab. He said most people don’t believe he took this picture. But he has proof-of-ownership in the second picture with a Washington state title for a “26Chev”. He also has the original purchase receipt for $50, and he wrote a note included with the photo that says,

“This picture of my 1926 Chev truck was taken in 1962 and developed and printed in the Walla Walla College photo lab by Jerry Bramlett, owner.”

Shortly after this picture was taken, Jerry was drafted into the army where he was a medic in Germany during the cold war. He told me that he didn’t know what to do with his old pickup, so he towed it to a local antique car dealer to see if he could sell it. The dealer owner said he couldn’t sell it. So, Jerry asked if he could leave it on consignment. The dealer said no one would buy it but Jerry could leave it on the lot until he returned from the army.

After the army, Jerry went back to the dealer to get his old truck, but it was gone. He asked the dealer how much he sold it for. The dealer said he didn’t sell it, that someone came around the corner too fast and ran right into it and totaled it. So they hauled it away as junk. Jerry always wondered if that was what really happened.

The truck is gone but the story is still there. It makes me think about the stories in the Bible. There may not be physical evidence left of the things that took place, but people carefully wrote down the events so that we would know. We can compare stories and principles and develop a picture in our minds of what God is conveying to us.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, May 1, 2024

I tend to believe, when the sun is shining, it’s difficult not to be happy. I know that isn’t always the case, but more times than not, this is a true statement. As I have mentioned many times (along with other fellow “daily photo parable” writers), we live in a sinful world. As true as that statement is, we also know God has created many amazing scenes to lift our spirit and help remind us of what life is truly about – a relationship with Him.

Over the past few days, I was able to take some time off and we had a chance to visit a different part of the country – specifically, the New England states. This particular image was captured in the city of Boston, Mass. More specifically, Boston Public Gardens, in the heart of the city. As you may already know, Boston has some rich American history, with the Boston Tea Party as one example. The city also has some beautiful scenery, as I captured in the image of these vibrant tulips, in full bloom, with the backdrop of weeping willows and the garden pond.

The sun was out, the colors were gorgeous, and happiness was the focal point, not the worries of the world. God is good to us, for sure. He provides what we need, while we wait for the gift He has generously given us – eternal life with Him. What an awesome God!

The next time you are outside (or even inside looking out) look for the sunshine, look for the good in every day God has given you. I hope just the thought of that brings you a bit of happiness.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, April 30, 2024

I like the optimism that seems to be a natural part of spring. Certainly it is much less reserved than the understatedness we find captured in the winter months. And while it may not flaunt the saturated richness that is part of summer or the mature abundance that is autumn, I still would find it difficult to exchange spring for any other season. And I believe the reason for this is the promise of the “yet to be.” Nature writer and naturalist, Edwin Way Teale, captured this sentiment in one of his books I have on my shelf entitled North with Spring where he wrote “All things seem possible in May.”

Buds swell with the promise of regeneration from seemingly lifeless limbs. From unpromising
clay emerges long-hidden shoots buried for an extended period of time yet appearing without the slightest fanfare. Even the birds seem to remember songs we thought they had forgotten since we ourselves had to re-learn to recognize them all over again.

I can’t completely agree with Victor Hugo’s remark “If people did not love one another, I really don’t see what use there would be in having any spring.” (Les Misérables) for I find other reasons to revel in the vernal season. One of those for which I am grateful is the reminder that it was spring when Christ rose from the tomb some 2000 plus years ago as an act of His love. New buds and fresh shoots prompt me to remember the promise of a new life if one is hidden in the One who rose again that spring morning.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Cheryl Boardman
Monday, April 29, 2024

Psalm 103:15-16 talks about how we don’t live very long on this earth. We are compared to wildflowers which can be very fleeting. I’ve been to places one week where there was quite a variety of different kinds of wildflowers in bloom and then gone back a week or two later and the wildflowers that were blooming previously are totally gone, without a trace that they were ever there – except for my photos!

We tend to think of paintbrush as being very red or orange (or magenta around Paradise on Mt Rainier) but I found these pale yellow wildflowers blooming in Central Washington northwest of Omak. I’m not sure of the common name for this particular variety but they were very beautiful. They look similar to pallid paintbrush flowers pictured in my Lewis J. Clark Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest book but Clark writes that there can be as many as 40 different species of paintbrush in the Pacific Northwest (or maybe more).

I like these verses in Psalm 103 which talk about God’s love for us:

GOD is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
GOD feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
GOD’s love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Psalm 103:8-17 (The Message)

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, April 28, 2024

I’ve been reading the book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament night after night, and a couple of nights ago, while doing so, I was suddenly reminded of the prize-winning, best-selling picture book, Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein.*

In this story, a father is trying to get his child to sleep. She begs for a story. He begins to read. A common occurrence, with a twist, because this is a children’s picture book and the little girl who is not at all sleepy is a chicken.

There’s another twist to the story, which explains the title – as the father reaches a crisis point in the story, his little chicken interrupts, warning the characters of the dangers involved and moving them quickly to a “happily ever after.”

She begs for another story, and the frustrated father agrees, begging her not to interrupt this time. But as this second story takes a turn for the worse, the little chicken jumps in again to avert catastrophe and ensure that all is well.

She pleads for yet another story, and her father implores her to, “Try not to get so involved!” But as she says, she can’t help it. (I won’t spoil the ending for you, in case you want to check out this book for yourself.)

She can’t help it, because she doesn’t want anybody to get hurt—she doesn’t want bad things to happen.

So why did I hear the flapping of little chicken’s wings when I was reading 1 Samuel?

I’d reached 1 Samuel 8:5, when the elders of Israel gather together and visit the prophet Samuel with this request:

They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” (NIV)

I wanted to shout out, “Don’t do it! Don’t ask for a king! Samuel, don’t listen to them! You’ll all regret this!”

And I remembered my friend, the Interrupting Chicken. I wanted to follow her lead, jump into the story, warn of the dangers, change everyone’s choices, save the day, and relax into a happy ending.

Think of all the times in Scripture we would like to have been interrupters as stories unfolded — badly. Especially here:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NIV)

If there was ever a time and a place to jump in, get involved, interrupt, it is here. But we can’t. It’s history, and we’re living in the consequences.

I believe in guardian angels that watch over us, and I wonder how tough that assignment is. How often does my angel friend want to interrupt my life and wave red flags of warning before my startled eyes?

But wait! That sounds like Someone else! That sounds like part of the Holy Spirit’s mission. Jesus, hours before His death, reassures His faltering disciples:

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 NKJV)

The Holy Spirit was the best gift Jesus could give us when He went back to heaven. I believe He gets involved in our lives as much as we allow Him to. Maybe I need to let Him know that He has my full permission to interrupt me as needed and guide me to the happily-ever-after I am longing for.

As we step out into this brand-new week, may all our interruptions be Spirit-led!

*Interrupting Chicken, David Ezra Stein, Candlewick Press, 2010