There were so many delightful moments on our family vacation trip to Ely, MN. We rented a cabin on Lake Vermillion, which I know many of you know as a prime place for fishing walleye. While we didn’t fish, we enjoyed many hikes, and I often stopped myself and exclaimed to Ryan, “Ah! Can you smell that? It smells like Christmas!” So often that gorgeous smell of pine stopped me in my tracks.
But, what was probably the most enjoyable experience for me was sitting on the back patio after Audrey went to bed, enjoying a drink and a s’more. The water grew still as the boaters were heading home for the day and the sun was creeping out of sight behind the bend. I watched as the birds flew over the trees, ever so graciously. And then it would start….the serene sound of the loon call. The call of the loon is believed to be a contact call. It is used to find a mate or perhaps in finding a lost chick. Most often times, you’ll hear one loon give this long wail, essentially saying, “I’m here, where are you?” Moments later, you’ll hear the response, “I’m over here.” It’s a haunting peaceful sound that will stick with you. I can’t wait to hear that gorgeous sound of the loon once again. I know we’ll be heading back to Minnesota again soon!
In many ways, the call of the loon reminds me of God. How many times has God called us using that same question. “I’m here, where are you?” Are we going to respond? Are we going to call out, “I’m over here.”
If you haven’t heard the sound of the loon before, you can here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A23jUixSJM&t=50s
Pastor Kristina