So….what did I hear when I paused long enough to listen? If you haven’t read Wednesday’s blog post, you’ll want to take a few minutes to read it now. If you’re like me, you HATE to come into a conversation halfway through, so go ahead, read the post. We’ll wait.
OK, now that we’re all on the same page, the answer to that question is (drum roll, please)…..
Birds.
Birds chirping. Birds singing. Birds chattering. Lots and lots of birds, doing lots and lots of bird stuff.
Which made me chuckle and here’s why; Norma, a gal in my last Meeting God Bible study, shared with our group that whenever she’s feeling worried, fearful, or that perhaps God is just too busy running the universe to care for her measly needs, her sister-in-law says “Norma, if God cares for the birds, He will certainly care for you. Remember the birds, Norma. Remember the birds.” That little phrase has become her personal reminder that the all –powerful God cares, that He knows every detail of her life, and that He watches over her with unlimited love and kindness and compassion. Until our time in Bible study it’s been a source of comfort, but she had no idea why, really.
You see, until recently, Norma hasn’t read the Bible. So when she stumbled upon Mathew 6:25-26, I thought she was going to jump out of her chair.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Can you see why?
All of us—and I do mean all of us—wonder from time to time if we really matter to God. We question our value. We wonder if He knows what’s going on in the comings and goings of our ordinary, everyday lives. Does he know our secret longings? Our hopes? Our fears? Our concerns? Our cares?
The answer is a resounding “Yes!” How do I know? “Look at the birds”, Jesus said, “are you not much more valuable than they?
In other words, remember the birds.
When God whispered to me to “just listen” on Wednesday afternoon, I heard the birds overhead and knew exactly what God wanted to say to me that day.
I see you.
I know about every detail of your life.
I care.
I’m in control.
I will take care of you and all your concerns.
You are mine.
You are much more valuable than the birds.
God’s whispering the same thing to you today. Remember the birds.
PS. The very next day, my dear friend Alicia (with no knowledge of Wednesday’s event) put a peacock feather on my car door. 🙂
PSS. On Monday I am drawing a name to win a $25 gift card to Starbucks. If you’ve never subscribed to my blog, take a minute to do so now to enter your name in the drawing. If you are already a subscriber,tell a friend so she can treat you to a latte!
This picture caused me to pause….and smile. You know I LOVE peacock feathers! It’s a way God speaks to me. These last two posts were so spot on – powerful – when God speaks, His whispers are like a shout! If we would just slow down…..be still……and listen! He has so much to say. Listen…..yes! Thanks for the reminder!
(I am so glad you got the feather! I was hoping it would not fly away:)
When I read your blog today, it reminded me of when I was teaching at St. Mary and all Angels. I was talking with my junior kindergarten children about the birds and how much Heavenly Father loves them, I could see by their angelic faces that they were understanding what I was talking about. A young man raised his hand and when I called on him, he said, “if birds did not have bones, then they would just be a pile of junk.” It was one of those moments when I got the giggles. Out of the mouth of babes. Of course, he was right in what he was saying. In my life, when the “junk” starts to build up, I will go to my favorite chair and just sit and be still. I can hear the wind chimes and the birds outside and usually the little girls next door playing. I call this, “Laurie time.” I get out my bible and have “God time.” It is so easy with such busy lives to not take that much needed time and just sit and listen for God. We all need it. A friend told me this the other day, “happy wife, happy life.” It begins with God.
Loren Cunningham, co-founder of Youth With A Mission, writes in his book “Daring to Live on the Edge” about this very Scripture. He entitles it: “Have You Ever Seen a Worried Bird?” The chapter begins, “Have you ever seen a worried bird? One who had deep wrinkles in his brow? Perhaps his eyes were bleary and bloodshot with circles underneath from many sleepless nights. Somehow you know he had been trying to keep a stiff upper beak as he worried over how he would pay the mortgage on his nest!…No, you haven’t seen a worried bird…” That picture has always stayed with me. I’ve never seen a worried bird. And, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and values me even more than the birds. So, when I’m tempted to worry, I, too, think of the birds.
What a wonderful analogy!
Yes, I am worth more than the birds. These are words we live by in my house hold everyday.. I’m glad and thankful I have my sister to remind me how much God loves me.. Even when it feels like he is just to busy running the universe to be worried about me.. But like my sister says,”The birds will never win”.
Thank you Donna for being my personal angel and guiding me to his word..
Hi Donna, I was just talking with my daughter, Moshelle Carlson, about trying to hear from God and never feeling like I hear clearly from Him. She mentioned your blog on the subject and suggested I take a look. Thank you so much for the timely message… it was just what I needed.
Thanks so much
Martha Addington