Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

Recipe Search

Bread For The Journey


Torpor - God's Provision
We were surprised and amazed this winter to find that our hummingbirds
did not migrate in fall but kept coming to our feeders !
A bit of google-research revealed that the Annas Hummingbird no longer bothers to fly south for the winter.
So we have been diligent in making sure that our feeders stay filled and thawed!
It was a strange sight to see the hummingbird fly through the falling snow to come feed.
I wondered how they could survive the severe cold with temperature dipping far below freezing. I learned that God equipped them in a unique way.
When it is very cold, the tiny hummingbird just goes into Torpor for night
-- a kind of temporary hibernation where they almost completely shut down. It very effectively conserves their life and energy. Then about two hours before sunrise they begin to raise their heart rate and body function and are ready to fly and feed again at daybreak.

When God tells us to look at the birds and see how He cares for them, I think He means us to understand the message that....
a God who so carefully provides for the smallest of His creatures
would surely also provide for us.

It is without thought or worry that the little hummingbird knows when to go into Torpor.
It is a well-designed built-in software program that works without fail.
It is not unlike how God designed our bodies.
When it becomes so cold that our body could be in danger,
our 'programmed software' also sends out a message ... "Too cold.. too cold ... "
and we know to put on extra clothing or find warm shelter.
Man must apply intelligence to our body's given messages --
but it is no less a 'gift' of our Creator's care that our bodies send out the warning!
Have you ever thanked God
for the fact that your body lets you know when it is getting too cold?
In all things, our Creator Father is a caring, loving Provider!

I will praise You,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvellous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Ps. 139:14
*

14 comments:

  1. My heart and soul has been warmed once more. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us and I really enjoy hearing the different stories of how God provides and cares for all of us!

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. How lovely...my parents had hummingbirds at their home. We enjoyed them so much.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your messages always hit home--Thank you again....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Julie, for this reminder that we can even watch for warning signs as a good thing to take better care for our bodies.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What an interesting post. I had no idea that certain hummingbirds stayed for the winter. I love the analogy you used. Blessings, Pamela

    ReplyDelete
  7. May I asked you, I put Hummingbird feeder under a tree in my backyard, I have to take it out because so much flies around the feeder, do you have any suggestion?, thank you for your help.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Everything4sweets! I don't know where you live or if my suggestion will help or not ..but I have one of those hummingbird feeders that suction onto my kitchen window and I don't have any problem with flies.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful post, thanks for warming my heart! Love the little hummers, ours will return to MI in May, they are just one of God's amazing little creatures! Thanks for your analogy!
    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love you message!! Awesome God we have.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks Julie, I live in Canada.
    I think , I have to move the feeder from under the tree onto the window :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. First, I'd like to say that since '05, my husband has had both his carotid arteries 100% CLOSED. How can it be? well, he almost died and when he did, God just rerouted to have vertebral bloodflow and it's been sufficient all these years...

    We have canadian geese staying here all year long. The farmers have a time of it with their crops here. It's a sight to see in the middle of summer. Even in front of the Walmart here, they cross the road...

    ReplyDelete
  13. we have Canadian geese staying all year here in the south. It's a sight to see them in 100 degree summer weather, crossing the road in front of walmart to get to a pond.

    On another note, my husband has lived on vetebral circulation alone since 05. Both carotids 100% closed!
    GOD IS GOOD!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you. I find good recipes and now some good verses with illustrations. I do prefer The King James though. Those Canadian geese are here too and just take there good ol' time crossing streets or entrance ways to stores.So funny.
    I am going to try to attract humming birds this Fall, we just moved here. I am from a town near Lancaster Pa. but live about an hour and 45 minuets from there now. A yummy blog! Janice

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.