Every Square Inch (iii) – Today’s Mystery

*I was weeding the flowerbeds the other day. I took along my camera. Here’s a ‘square inch’ of God’s creation that I found.

*****

One day I spied … a creature
Exploring a rocky corner
Not one day 
Not two days
But many days of exploring
… Searching for what?
Searching the rocks for
A bite to eat?
A place to live?
A mate?
… All the while darting all around? How?
This creature has wings
Four wings
Amber wings
Four, big Amber wings
… What about the rest of it?
This creature’s body
Has three sections - head, thorax, abdomen
It’s two inches long, black, yellow, red
With one wicked looking stinger
… Anything else?
Only the female
Lays eggs
Digs the burrow
Has a stinger to paralyze prey
… Prey, what prey? Pray tell?
Ah, the prey! 
Here’s where we get the clue
It will help us name this very interesting insect
This large, flying wasp of a creature
In search of a
… cicada …
To nourish newly hatched eggs
Its name? 
Cicada Killer
Doing what it was created to do
Today’s gift

Every Square Inch (ii) – Necessities

*I was out weeding the flowers the other day. I took along my camera. Here are some ‘square inches’ of God’s creation that I found.

*****

Food (i)

We see leafy, green
We wonder what’s within
We have food for thought
Food (ii)
Carbon dioxide
Water, chlorophyll, sunlight
Photosynthesis
Food (iii)
Table of Plenty
Photosynthesis provides
Food for all
Take a Breath
Green, leafy gateway
C - Oh - two IN, Oh - two OUT
Needed breath of life
Water
Suspended, sparkling
Jewels dancing, delighting
Watering the earth

Today’s gifts

Every Square Inch (i)

I thought it might be a good idea to include a note about the “square inch” tag that I’ve put on some of my posts.

The phrase comes from a longer quote by Abraham Kuyper, a Dutch theologian. He said, “There is not a square inch in the whole’ domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

Much has been written about the richness of Kuyper’s intended meaning in that quote. Certainly, its meaning goes far beyond the simple ideas I present in my posts. There’s more to ‘… the whole domain of our human existence…’  than spiders, flowers and other things in my backyard.

I use the ‘every square inch’ tag because I believe that ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” and that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,” (every square inch of it) So, I do my best in my posts to reflect the beauty, wonder, and delight evident in God’s awesome Creation.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make us sit up and take notice, that delight us, that make us smile or even laugh. Sometimes it’s the little things, along with the big ones that make us wonder – what, why, how, who? Sometimes, if we’re paying attention, those things will even point us to the Creator himself.

I don’t think Kuyper had spiders on his mind when talking about square inches. But I think he would agree that for even the smallest, the most ordinary, the least, Christ cries out, “Mine!”

Today’s Riddle

What is black, white and red and found in the cosmos?

Hmmm? Tough question.

There are lots of red, white and black things.

The Cosmos is huge.

Hint?
It flies.

Lots of things fly.

Not much help is it?
Okay. How about this?
It flutters when it flies.

Ah, that narrows it down…

To about a million fluttery things.

Did I mention that it’s black, white and red?

Do you mean like black and white and read all over?

Nope. 
Different riddle.
Try this
Think cosmos

Okay

Space, planets, celestial spheres, galaxies

Orion, the dippers, comets, the moon…

Not that Cosmos
These cosmos

Ah, now we’re getting somewhere!

Thinking…

Black, white, red

Flutters as it flies

In the cosmos,

Not to be confused with THE Cosmos

Last hint
Think naval
No! Not that one

I got it!

Naval as in nautical, not bellybutton

White, red and black

Flutter flying

Among the cosmos and and also within THE Cosmos

A Red Admiral butterfly

Unexpected delight

*****

Today’s gift.