Birds As Teachers

What a gorgeous day! The birds are out in full force, as if it is Spring already, full of song and fluttering joy. They've also taught me a thing or two-- lessons I'd like to share with you!

Lesson One: The other day I heard a thud at my window near the feeder. A finch had flown into it, and was lying, on its back, stunned on the deck. Her (it was a female) wings fluttered wildly as she struggled to recover and right herself. She would exhaust herself in these efforts, and then resume them. I feared a wing might be broken, or worse. I prayed for her as I watched. But she saw me, I think, and seemed to panic all the more, so I removed myself, and came back only periodically to watch her progress-- hoping there would be some.

In a little while, she was still on her back, her wings folded at her side. I despaired. Then, she tussled to her feet and staggered around, but still I worried. A little time passed, and when I came back, she was on her feet, sort of, with her head thrown back in a contortion that looked for all the world to me like prayer! Imagine a finch praying! I joined her!

A little bit after that, I saw her sitting under a planter. She had moved, but her head was still cocked oddly to one side... I imagined that she'd be unable to leave the porch, but she might eat what seed she could find on the deck.

Then, a little while after that, when I returned to check on her, she was gone! Where did she go?, I asked myself. I looked to see if she'd fallen off the deck or hopped into a corner, but I couldn't find her. It took me a while to believe that she might actually have flown away! But I believe she did.

Here's what I want to believe she taught me: There ARE times in life when we simply fly into barriers! I did, last Summer! And yes, these are stunning experiences. But yes, too, we can recover, and fly on, if we take the time it takes... And if we pray in the process! God's eye is not only on the sparrow-- God is watching us, and the finches, too!

Lesson Two: As you know, we've had rainier weather than usual lately, and I'm guessing that for that that reason the bird feeder has become somewhat clogged. I put seed in the top, shake it until it appears in the bottom, but it doesn't keep coming down, and the birds eat thus mostly from the middle. It gets rather crowded there!

So today, taking advantage of the good weather, I cleaned the feeder, as thoroughly as I could, flushing out the chunks of seed that had glommed near the bottom. I waited for it to dry, and put it back out. Now the seed flows easily from top clear through the bottom, and more birds benefit.

What I'm taking from this is that it is as important to us spiritually to be clear at the "bottom" of ourselves as at the "top!" I don't mean to be recommending a spiritual "colonic," necessarily... But there are ways we get kind of clogged... and may not know it! A thorough spiritual cleansing can do us a lot of good!

I'm reminded of the Essenes, a devout people of Jesus' day, who highly valued spiritual "purity," and thus the water that it took to achieve that. The Christian sacrament of baptism likely had some connection with things the Essenes did.

Well, maybe, if we are to be of service and to "feed" others well, maybe we need to consider an occasional "re-baptism," as it were: a discipline of cleansing and re-dedication to the spiritual purpose for which God has called us. Some of the "old" in us will need to be washed away, so that we are able to be "re-filled" by the Holy Spirit-- and thus "cleared" to serve!

I don't know... Maybe I'm stretching this analogy too far! I just know: the birds appreciate their feeder more now. It is as if "new" to them. Behold, God makes ALL things new! Even us... Even us...

Blessings!