I can stand outside and listen to the birds all day long. I know the distinct sounds of the Red-headed Flicker Woodpecker and the Oregon Junco. The American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Anna’s Hummingbird, and Red-tailed Hawk are on the list as well. And, surprisingly, the European Starling. What I once thought of as a winged, scavenging pest, I now count as one of the most melodious birds I’ve heard.
The other day while I was walking, I stopped and thanked God for the song of the Chickadee. It then occurred to me how familiar these bird songs have become to me.
“Why can’t I hear your voice so well, Lord?” I quietly asked.
Perhaps it is the time I haven’t put in listening and being still. Times of waiting and not giving up on an answer. Times of not waiting – of impatience. Times of thinking I know best. TImes of not listening, of not being still.
Ashamed. That is how I felt when I realized that I neglect the One who breathed life into me. I lose sight of the One who guides my journey. I can more time seeking the tunes of the song birds than the words of life of my Lord.
I want my life to be His words which hold me safely in the storms of my life and not the melodious tunes of fine feathered friends. I want to appreciate creation – the beauty, the uniqueness, the awe – but I want to adore the Creator. I want to know His voice better than that of a Black-capped Chickadee. The only way for that to happen is to put as much time and effort in listening to and for His voice than I do listening for those bright yellow, red, and other colored flying objects that flit about in my trees.
In my shame, I also need to remember that, in so many different ways, He has given us creation for our enjoyment. As I am still enough to hear the running of the rivers, the crunching of leaves as the doe walks with her fawn, and the songs of His birds, I can easily be reminded of His love which says, “Look at these creatures I have given for your pleasure. If I have cared for them so well that they spend the day singing praises to Me, won’t I just as much – even more – care for you?”
Thank you Lord, for your tenderness toward me.
From my heart - Sherri
