Psalm 104:16-24

^“16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. ¹⁷ In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees. ¹⁸ The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. ¹⁹ You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. ²⁰ You make darkness, and it is night, when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. ²¹ The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. ²² When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens. ²³ People go out to their work and to their labour until the evening. ²⁴ O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

The creature, the bird, the stork is one flying creature that indeed is mentioned more than once in the Bible and noted for its nesting habits. And as I contemplate storks as a creature beautifully made by God, I am curious why are storks associated with the delivering of human babies. And so I explored, as our Bible notes storks unique nesting, scientists have measured their migration patterns today as being nearly nine months. Nine months starting in summer north to south migrations, measuring closely to human baby gestations. While for Europeans their arrival indicted the end of winter and departure signaled the end of summer; this of course was flipped for the people of the Bible. There was no missing these large white birds in flight or nesting in creation. Their fearlessness in eating snakes and rodents also must have made their good luck if they even nested on your roof.

Prayer

God of Abundance and Goodness, the beauty of a stork in flight is one that we pause and allow the shadow to pass over us as we celebrate your wisdom. As we sing praises to you, “all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.” Amen.