Our horrible hungry heron

Living near the river, as we do, we almost daily see all kinds of wild waterfowl. Geese, swans, ducks, terns, black cormorants can be seen overhead on a regular basis. Each one of them is amazing to watch. I still stop in my tracks when I see a flock of geese passing by. But there is nothing quite like watching a heron in full flight. With its massive wingspan and its graceful flight, it is truly a beauty of creation. However... herons have a down side.

We have a small pond in our back garden, and when we moved into our house a few years ago we were delighted to see that the pond had a nice stock of gold fish, white gold fish, black pond fish, and other lovely species. But two years ago, we experienced the first of our visits by a heron. (Why they can't be satisfied with the fish in the river is beyond me.) One morning I looked out and this creature that is so beautiful when in flight, was looking pretty ugly to me as it was gulping down as many of our pond fish as it could get down its long, slim throat. The pond wasn't emptied of fish, but we suffered some pretty heavy losses.

I went out and bought a few tiny fish and began the process of restocking the pond. Last spring, which seems to be when the heron comes around, we were ready for it. We had the pond covered with wire strands to deter it from landing in our pond, and we tried to keep a vigilant watch for its invasive maneuvers. We made it through the year with no problems.

Then this past Monday morning at 7.20, I got a phone call from a neighbour boy. He said, "Bruce, you've got a heron on your roof. You better watch your fish." I went tearing out of the house and scared the big bird off, but within the hour it was back. Standing nearly 3 feet tall, it is a formidable and beautiful sight. But it was a sight I didn't want in my back garden. We put one of our dogs near the pond, and we tried to keep an eye out for the bird, but we weren't really watching like we should. Also, the wire netting over the pond wasn't in the best shape, because we're in the process of selling our house, so we haven't really been diligent in keeping up with the maintenance of things that we'll soon be taking down anyway.

Tuesday we had to go out for the day, and when we got back three bricks had been knocked from the edge of the pond into the water. But the fish were still there. I didn't really do anything further to deter the ravenous creature, and Wednesday morning I had to chase it away yet again. When I went to have a look at the pond, to my dismay I saw that virtually every fish was no longer with us. The heron had won the day.

This started me thinking about the way we guard the things in our life that really matter. (I have to be honest and admit that while I enjoyed the fish in the pond, I didn't spend most of Wednesday night weeping for their loss. They didn't remember me from one day to the next anyway.) Just like the heron, there are things that are out there always ready to cause us problems and bring loss to our lives. It may have been one or two years since we last encountered them, but they are still always around.

Some of these things are out in the world--sin, lusts, temptations, or as Peter says, the devil acting as a roaring lion looking for somebody to devour. We are to be on our guard, always aware that there is a battle going on, a battle with serious consequences. But other things are in our own hearts. Jesus said the problem with humans is not on the outside, but on the inside. It's the heart that drives these things and creates the problems. I guess that's why Proverbs admonishes us: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (4:23).

I recognise that too often I get comfortable, and I forget that I am to be in a constant state of vigilant watching. It's easy to think that we've defeated a particular weakness in our lives, but the human heart is deceitful, and just when we think we've got the "all clear", look out! Here comes that same dastardly habit or bitterness or weakness again. We've got to be watchful of all things.

I guess it all starts with recognising the condition of our own heart. I remember the story of G.K. Chesterton, the great British writer. One of the London newspapers asked people to write in and say what they thought was wrong with the world at that time. Chesterton wrote to the editor and said, "Dear Sir, what is wrong with the world? I am. Yours sincerely, G.K. Chesterton." Recognising our own heart condition will mean that we also recognise the need for vigilance concerning ourselves. It will also mean that we have a lot less time for criticising and correcting everybody else around us.

We live in a world that is fallen. This isn't our final destination, but for now we live here. It pays to be diligent in keeping up a guard against Satan, the world, and our own heart. For the sake of my God, his church, and my family, I need to keep a watchful eye and an alert spirit, because I don't want those spiritual herons swooping in and robbing us of something that is precious and of eternal value while I'm having a lazy day, or in some cases, a lazy year.

"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies" (Psalm 141:3-4).