To be More Like the Birds...

"For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" - Matthew 6: 25-26

One of my great pleasures is feeding the little birds in my back yard. Every morning before sunrise I fill the feeder and put fresh water out for them. They have become quite trusting. I set two bowls of water on the wide deck railing, just in sight of my kitchen window where I can observe them without disturbance. I think they wait in anticipation for me to tend to their needs, for it never takes very long before my tiny feathered friends show up for a visit.

I've seen cardinals, finches, wrens, the occasional blue jay, and hordes of white wing doves and sparrows. At certain times of year I'll even have a robin or two stop by for a treat. Sometimes I get so used to their sweet songs and calls I almost don't notice them, but when I am present in the moment and really concentrate, it's a true cacophany... not discordant, but beautiful.

I believe God has given me these birds to teach me some lessons about trust. I hate to admit it, but I'm a natural-born worrier. I worry about all kinds of things: finances, health, family, things that need fixing around the house, the weather, etc., etc., etc. As a Christian I know I shouldn't fret, that worry is a sign of a lack of trust in God to take care of me, but try as I might, I still find myself wringing my hands over one thing or another. I'm a flawed individual. Sometimes that old Adam in me just won't stay drowned.

I know that's why God filled my back yard with birds.

So. Many. Birds.

It matters not to them if the feeders are full... if the water dishes are overflowing. It matters not to them if there is sleet or snow. It matters not to them if we are in a drought or a deluge. The winds can howl and buffet and blow. It doesn't change things one iota. Each morning they lift up their heads and sing. Their song is thanksgiving, thanksgiving to the God who preserves and sustains them. They sing for pure joy in the new day.

They sing because they trust.

Oh, to be like the birds; to wake anew every morning with praise on my lips and a song in my heart! How glorious, how freeing, to simply praise God for His goodness without a care in the world over what the day may bring. The day belongs to Him after all, and He will direct it as He sees fit. Truth be told, He's much better at managing it than I am anyway.

So, here's to the birds, to their songs, and to their trust... and to becoming

more like them.