Do you ever find yourself in a position to observe people? How about animals? Well last Monday evening, I had some time to get off by myself and observe all these things and more.

One of our grandsons, Steve, plays clarinet in the West Florida Junior Symphony. I offered to take him, wait the two hours while he practiced and then bring him home. After dropping him off, I headed for a lovely walkway right on Sarasota Bay. I began looking around.

I saw a lot of small boats trying to get to the docking area before the sun completely slipped beneath the Gulf. Funny to watch in a way. As the little boats got close to shore, each occupant invariably reached for his life jacket and held it tightly in full view of the Auxiliary Coast Guard members who were sitting nearby. In my opinion, they needed the life vests far more while boating on the Bay or out in the Gulf.

I love pelicans. My granddaddy used to sing a silly song to me. Had something to do with a pelican being able to hold more fish than my belly can. The pelicans were all around. They often fly in formation, diving for fish at the exact same moment. They can skim just a few inches above the water for very long distances without moving their wings. They managed to get a few fish for their trouble. However, as the sun sank beyond the horizon and dusk suddenly arrived, the pelicans headed for their nesting areas. Within a few seconds of the departure of the pelicans, the mullet began leaping out of the water. Mullet are vegetarians. One can’t catch them with hooks. The only way to catch mullet is with a castnet.

As I pondered the things I’d seen, I thought about what I could learn from them. From the people in the boats, I decided that it’s pretty human to worry more about the appearance of compliance with the law when the authorities are watching, rather than actually obeying the law, particularly where the wind and waves can suddenly arise.

Aaaaahhhhhh, but the pelicans and the mullet impressed me most. We know that our enemy, the devil, stalks us like a lion while roaring at the top of his lungs. But, even though we know he’s our enemy, we often fail to study his ways and learn how to protect ourselves from his wily traps and seductions. The Bible says that we’re to study to prove that we’re well-trained and qualified spiritual workmen who don’t need to be ashamed!

Believe me. Those mullet are not dumb or dumber! None of them broke water until the last pelican headed off for his roost. They knew the habits and patterns of their enemy and had well-developed strategies for staying alive. Should we do any less? I think not.

If you find yourself in a quiet spot, look around and see what you can see.

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