Of Ravens And Ptarmigans

As I sat in my van, near my now frozen dock, I noticed a family of 10 Ptarmigan. I observed this adorable creature and made mental notes. It is pure white, except for a couple of black feathers on the tail and I think a red spot above the eye. It is very round (I wonder if it has a big heart in there), with a little head and short, fluffy-feather legs, about the shape of a Quail. I observed that they ignored me (wanted nothing from me) and harvested their food from nature. They sat together, peacefully, after eating. It seems they fly only if they must. They run as fast as their little legs can go, they seem to enjoy moving along the land in flocks.

There were also a couple of Ravens near the van. They are pure black, with a large head (intellectual bird) and a large, evenly proportioned body. They puff their feathers out to keep warm. The Ravens are always at this spot, as there is a garbage can, as well as some litter on the ground. Sometimes they freak me out as they land on the hood of my van in front of me, where the windshield meets it and stare at me. They wait for me to give them something. This time I had fig newtons, so I tossed one out. Immediately the Raven was upon it. It grabbed the fig newton and flew off, as another Raven tried to steal it, chasing and harassing in mid-air.

I pondered these two different birds and I felt the Spirit of God begin to speak to me about them. The Ptarmigan symbolizes God's provision. It is there for the taking, we just need to know how to appropriate it. The Ptarmigan rely on what God provides for them in nature and they themselves are a provision for others. They live in harmony with each other, it is interesting that this bird is white. Purity. The Raven is the complete opposite, and I believe symbolizes what happens to us when we look elsewhere for our provision. The things that anesthetize our hearts, junk food for the heart, causes us to forget and even lose taste for, that which is truly good. The Raven is an intelligent bird and I believe that is a clue. When knowledge of both good and evil and the temptation to "be like God" causes us to walk away from Him, we also walk away from Eden; God's provision.