( My Mom dared me to pose and put on blog. Lol. Here you go mom!)
Why birds? Because they represent God's Constance to me. No matter where I go, I can always find birds...hear birds. And each day when I open my eyes they are right there... On my porch feeders...in my Maple trees... Or singing on my barbwire fence. They do what Romans says nature does, they reveal Gods attributes to my human soul.
Mourning Dove Fledgling
Juvenile Eastern Kingbird
A few of my favs?
American Robins. They sing while it is still dark. What a trait! Would love this to become a habit of mine!
Eastern Bluebird. They are the sky's perfect blue on top, with bellies brown like earth. This mix of two worlds beautifully colliding.
Sparrows. Because even birders overlook them as commonplace. But Jesus doesn't. His word says He knows when even one falls. And if God is so aware and caring about a common bird, He is aware of common me.
Cardinals. Because the male feeds the female seeds as he courts her. And well... I just love being married to my man. :) Couple birds endear me!
Hummingbirds. They have this attention and adoration for the smallest flower. How they use their wing speed faster then a racing heart, to SLOW DOWN and savor life.
Brown Thrasher. Oh! He sings over 1,100 different songs.... Not once, but twice. As if maybe we all need reminding. This beauty sung twice for the forgetful...me!
Song Sparrows. Because they have a brown spot, somewhat shaped like a messy heart on their chest. Always singing sweet it's song.
Painted Bunting. Wow! God took out His colors and amazed! Seriously, are you still reading this? Go google one! I am telling you! :)
Nuthatches. Because walking down the side of a tree when you could just fly... That's just wonderful! Perfectly caught up in the stroll.
Baltimore Oriols. Because the first time I saw this bright orange fly across my yard here? I thought it was a joke! Do birds this bright exist for real? And they come visit me over a cup of grape jelly. Lovely.
Western Kingbirds. Because they chatter like the happiest of girlfriends. I imagine them with coffee cups on a tree branch, lost in the joy of kindred.
I could go on and on. God has captured my attention with birds. He has comforted me with their company, song, and diversity.
Male Cardinal.
The Western Meadowlark is my Kansas girl. She perches on fences, old crop stalks, high power lines... And she sings. Loud and glorious. And just this week I was comforted by the crazy of her melody. I can be going 60mph, have windows rolled up, and kids bantering... That song gets through! And this week, I felt it's hope. And it turned into a prayer. Because we can't always slow the car of hardship down. We can't choose where it takes us sometimes in this life. We have to trust God with its speed and destination. But how kind that He makes sure the song gets through! I pass her in seconds. It's enough! Those notes crawl into cracks and find my heart. And somehow I am uplifted. Because God sees to it that the song finds me.
Or the storms here in kansas. Epic. Incredibly Jesus. Indescribably lovely. But wow can they be strong. Clouds billow black with shades of green. Wind carving them all anvil. Rain falling hard and sideways. Trees bending submissive to power. I love it!! And with each clap of thunder I smile. Because the scriptures say thunder is God making His presence known. So there I stand by the window. Answering back giddy... "Hi Lord!" :). This last one we had I sat at my favorite chair kinda mesmerized by a thought. Yup. Those birds again. How much grip and gumption do they have to have to hold on when trees are bending low and wild, and heaven's bathtub has tipped full over? And yet we don't see birds getting jerked from the sky. And when the storm passes they are the first out, and the first singing. Jesus sees to them in every storm. He makes sure they get through, indeed that their songs are sung again. This beautiful stark after unleashed power. If He cares for birds during nature fury? Yup. Then He will for me, no matter how much I feel I am going to get ripped from this branch. He will tend to my song.
Birds. They tell these beautiful stories!
Yes. I could so go on for a long...long...time. This is good for you cat people. And Dog groupies. Because to appreciate bird wing, you have to become apart of the silence. And I have found when I do that, God speaks and hearts lift.
Things in this fast life, that call for us to slow, should get our attention. We are too distracted...we are to fast these days... We have music, news, facts, faces, and the legal espionage ( Facebook. Yeah, I said it. You know it's true.) And I have learned that this can become the tree of knowledge in the mere moment. It's a thin line. We search and we fill. With facts that cause fear, with faces that leave jealousy. With options that leave lust and want. Maybe the birds really know something we forget too quick. Our God is the sweetest when known in simple. The pause. The yes to stopping and looking up.
He is in that garden stroll...not in our lust for eating that apple of knowledge.
I use the Internet. And I often go too fast in my routine. But I am contemplating how life would change if I would ponder God more. If I would think on who He really is, to wonder at all He can do. How would my soul fill and my vain empty... I want to be a woman of wonder. A woman who finds bounty joy in the simplicity of God here. I am an attribute hunter! He says creation reveals His character to us. So much so that none have an excuse to not know Him.
So the birds? Yeah. They are my flagship to remember. Jesus is always loving and always waiting. This sweet constant. And if I will open my clenched fists, and take a deep breath, my stomach will begin to un-knot.
Feathers flying and skies unfolding, this is the story of promises.
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