January Sundays

On a local errand this fall, I noticed several large birds perched on the roof of a house.  I can often identify birds, but I wasn’t sure about these.  They weren’t black enough to be vultures.  They weren’t shore birds either.  My guess was turkeys, but the rooftop landing seemed odd.  Shortly thereafter, I came across an article on turkeys in the December issue of my favorite local publication, Wrightsville Beach magazine.

The article confirmed that turkeys live in the wild in this area.  It described their social construct of small flocks and their roosting habits, as well as showing photographs that matched the color and shape of the birds I saw.  And just last Sunday we saw two more flocks of turkeys grazing alongside a highway.  Yes, as the piece noted, turkeys are “frequently observed” in our wooded, coastal area!

The article, “And Then There Were Some,” mostly focused on the resurgence of the turkey population in North Carolina.  Apparently, wild turkeys were becoming scarce in the state in the early 20^th century.  Conservation efforts were made to protect and promote turkey life.  These were successful and a flourishing turkey population has been restored.  I enjoy hearing that native species thrive in their natural habitat and I will look forward to recognizing wild turkeys roadside and on rooftops.

Today is designated as Sanctity of Life Sunday and sadly, America’s human population is not protected and fully valued.  Not every little person is promised the opportunity to thrive in our country.  Instead, parents may opt to extinguish the life of their unborn baby.  It’s a glaring contradiction to think that our society values the whales and the wolves and the wild turkeys yet wavers when it comes to human beings.  Yes, there are rights but there are also undeniable responsibilities: to manage sexual behavior, to commit to family relationships, to honor human life.  Regardless of what our laws permit or do not permit, our hearts must yearn for the dignity of all life, celebrating the creation of new life, and grieving the destruction of the same.

Following a calamity that took all his possessions and children, the Biblical ancient, Job, rightly acknowledged the sole sovereignty of God over life and death, saying, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.”  (See full context of  Job 1 v 21 and also Job 12 v 10 and Job 31 v 15)

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Author: Brenda Proulx

Wife, mother and grandmother, educator and someone who thinks about the things I observe. I am the daughter of a writer; my dad's career was in the field of journalism. More significantly, I am God's child, a person believing in Jesus Christ and in His timeless Word. Blogging is new to me but I feel like I've always had a pen in my hand. I jot notes in my planner, mark papers, underline verses, write many letters, and occasionally draft articles for work or church. When I am not holding a pen, I am probably cuddling a mug of coffee. View all posts by Brenda Proulx