As spring has progressed and the leaves have transformed from just-born light green to a mature hue, and the flowers continue to flower and leaf, there has been a wonderful recent addition to our family. See...in one corner on the outside of the house, a bird had been persistently building an addition. Guess he or she didn't think the house was big enough for da both of us! Day after day, layer after layer, careful construction continued until one day the 'door' to the room was visible. The guest accommodations are complete, and we now have the Bird Family living with us. And they have been quite active. Yesterday, the mama bird was flying in and out all day long as she brought back 'food' for her younglings. This morning, while doing some reading and studying, I noticed 2 adult birds at the doorway. I got a little worried because one had its head in the nest as the mama bird landed with more food. I thought another bird had swooped in to do harm to our babies. But...turns out that it must have been papa, because he took the food from mama bird's beak and reached into the kid's room. What an incredible sight!
That got me thinking about something Jesus said about worrying. Paraphrasing Matthew's Gospel, he states, "Don't worry about the little things in life - food, clothes, cars, boats, stuff. Life is much more than that. Consider the Bird Family. They technically are 'homeless,' yet they know they can build a shelter if needed - for their younglings. And after they build it and the babies are born, they don't worry about trying to get a table at Cracker Barrel or whether or not their SUV is the latest model. God knows they're hungry and directs them to the food. God loves all of Creation and takes care of it."
God knows all of creation. And takes care of us. And I appreciate that because I tend to worry about things. Usually small things. Things that in the grand scheme of things won't add moments to my life. In fact, they take away from life. They distract me from what's really important: loving, sharing, giving, participating, reflecting the image of the Creator. So I'll take a few lessons from the Bird Family today and realize that everything is God's. I am just a fortunate recipient of grace and lots of gifts. May I use them appreciatively and wisely.
Until next time...
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