The trees were full of white blossoms, so much so that, from our viewpoint at least, they looked snow-covered. But suddenly, the “blossoms” took flight. They were actually a flock of white herons, and they began circling overhead like snowy whirlwinds. Then they came to rest once again in the enormous trees. What a wonderful spectacle! It was getting late, and they were searching for shelter for the night. It seemed evident that this was an ideal site.

The scene reminded me of the parable of the mustard seed told by Jesus: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches” (Matthew 13:31, 32, New King James Version). I often associate mustard seeds with faith, because when Jesus’ disciples asked him to help them have more faith, he said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6, NKJV).

Fear of God usually outweighed my love for Him, until I started studying Christian Science.