“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:18
“…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
My son, Chris and his wife, Tammy, recently returned from visiting Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada, Florida. During a Birthday family gathering, they shared their delightful photos and stories for all of us to enjoy. My granddaughter, currently in the first grade, took a special interest in their travels. Just a few months ago, she and her parents had stood on those very same docks. As we looked at the pictures together, a beautiful mystery sparked my interest. We realized they were looking at the exact same dock—and quite possibly, the exact same bird.
The Great Egret you see at Robbie’s has completely mastered the local system! As the story goes: “The birds at Robbie’s have basically turned freeloading into a highly coordinated, strategic sport. While the pelicans act like rowdy toddlers—squawking, lunging, and trying to swallow your entire hand—that sleek Great Egret just stands there looking incredibly dignified, completely masking the fact that it is actively plotting how to rob your fish bucket the second you look away.”
“The dignified master of the docks at Robbie’s Marina.” Photo by Chris Mar 2026
Lessons from the Great Egret’s Anatomy
Looking at this creature with its pure white plumage, bright orange beak, and jet-black feet, I began to wonder: What might we learn from the design of a Great Egret?
- “The Pure White Plumage (The Unveiled Face): In Scripture, white symbolizes purity, righteousness, and the light of Christ. When our faces are unveiled in Him, we reflect His glory cleanly against the chaotic background of the world.
- The Bright Orange Beak (Speech & Action): The beak is how the bird interacts and feeds. A bright, sharp beak reminds us that our words and daily actions should be seasoned with grace, clarity, and intentional purpose.
- The Jet-Black Feet (Grounding in the Mud): Egrets spend their lives wading through muddy waters, yet their feathers stay perfectly clean. Their black legs are anchored in the muck of the earth, but they remain unstained. It is a striking metaphor for living in the world, but not being of the world.”
The Pelican vs. The Great Egret
The contrast observed at the docks offers a powerful mirror for human behavior. When the world hands us chaotic situations, do we approach them like the pelicans—squawking, lunging, causing noise, and demanding immediate gratification out of panic or anxiety? Or do we approach them like the Great Egret—projecting a quiet stillness, patience, and composure that commands respect?
What Do Others See When Our Faces Are Unveiled?
What might others see in us and share with family, friends, neighbors, and the larger community when a photo of our face is unveiled? Is it so awesome—so full of peace, integrity, and quiet joy—that they give praise to our Heavenly Father? Or is it so mundane and reactive that it hardly gets a response or a negative response?
Reflecting the glory of the Lord from one degree of glory to another doesn’t require a dramatic, loud performance. Often, the most profound light we can shine is simply choosing the poise of the egret over the chaos of the pelican. When we do, even a simple family gathering, coffee with friends, or for many of us today social media chats, text and comments become a space where we aren’t just sharing vacation photos—we are sharing a living parable.
“…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
What a beautiful photo by Chris Mar of the Great Egret! And, Sara, your words describing and comparing Great Egret to Pelican are really thought provoking, as are the scriptures.
“The contrast observed at the docks offers a powerful mirror for human behavior. When the world hands us chaotic situations, do we approach them like the pelicans—squawking, lunging, causing noise, and demanding immediate gratification out of panic or anxiety? Or do we approach them like the Great Egret—projecting a quiet stillness, patience, and composure that commands respect?”
“Is it so awesome—so full of peace, integrity, and quiet joy—that they give praise to our Heavenly Father? Or is it so mundane and reactive that it hardly gets a response?”
This made me think of someone called Stephen who was a disciple of Jesus. Acts 6 describes him as “a man full of God’s grace and power”. People who opposed him and the gospel message argued with him, but we are told , “But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” And though they continued to oppose and accuse and argue with him, we read that, “The entire council turned its gaze on Stephen to see how he would respond. They were shocked to see his face radiant with peace—as if he were a heavenly messenger.”
This sure seems to say he was like the Great Egret because he allowed the Light of the Life of Jesus Christ in Him to shine. As Sara so profoundly wrote, he chose the Light to shine. “Often, the most profound light we can shine is simply choosing the poise of the egret over the chaos of the pelican.”
Thank you, Sara, that you help us to see and challenge us that though we may not be facing what Stephen did, we can choose “the poise of the egret over the chaos of the pelican.” and “pass down a living parable.”
“The contrast observed at the docks offers a powerful mirror for human behavior. When the world hands us chaotic situations, do we approach them like the pelicans—squawking, lunging, causing noise, and demanding immediate gratification out of panic or anxiety? Or do we approach them like the Great Egret—projecting a quiet stillness, patience, and composure that commands respect?”
Wow! The words you have written here Sara, causes one to stop and think about how we really should respond when the world hands us chaotic situations. It seems the pelicans are just copying what the world has handed us? That seems like the mouse, running in the wheel, going nowhere? Yes, we can sure learn a lesson from the Great Egret… be quiet, be still, be patient…. We can know “Be still and Know that I am God”, His Word tells us. 🙏 Thank you, Sara for sharing with us Chris and Tammy’s photo and story. There sure is a lesson here.
Thanks Debi and Tammy for sharing your spiritual insights to help us comprehend what our unveiled faces might reveal.
Debi mentioned the story of Stephen in the New Testament. The entire council turned its attention to Stephen to observe his response. They were astonished to see his face radiating with peace, as if he were a heavenly messenger.
Tammy emphasized the importance of faith, quoting Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.”
Your both sharing faith led me to ponder the following:
“Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13)
Moses spoke these words to the Israelites at the edge of the Red Sea when they were trapped and terrified of the approaching Egyptian army. He reassured the people not to be afraid, to remain steadfast, and to watch God deliver them. Moses assured them that the Lord would fight for them and that they only needed to remain silent or still.
The outcome was miraculous. God parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground while the pursuing army was swept away.
The Word of God teaches us to choose faith over panic. This allows time for God to intervene and fight our battles.
The image of a beautiful white Great Egret with an orange beak and elegant black strong feet stood still and obtained what it needed without the antics of the noisy pelican, which seemed to exhibit toddler-like behavior. 🤗
Tammy and Debi, you certainly brought attention to our faces, and I’m certain there’s a valuable lesson to be learned from this.
This blog has been my focus this week. Yet, when I closed my Bible by shutting my computer down I left the essence of the homily in shut down mode! And, that meaning me with the wrong motives, actions, and timing proved to be out of the frame work on my face not being brilliant light but a dim light. My deeds not my highest best! What a mess when I did my preliminary test on my bed in the dark of the night.
; “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: … ‘You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Mark 12:28–31
Richard Rohr considers Jesus’s response to the question, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”:
I don’t think any of us really know how to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We might want to love like that, but how do we put all the parts of ourselves together and actually do it? It takes our whole lives to figure out what Jesus’s words might even mean. Then Jesus says, “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mark 12:31). Do any of us do that? Do we really love other people? Do we really give them as much attention as we give to ourselves? I don’t think so.” Richard Rohr might have a point when it comes to my test score for this past week.
Hope you are doing a lot better than me. I’m working on it just not there yet!