this morning i sat on the steps, cup of black tea in hand, listening to a song. i wasn't familiar with the singer, but knew exactly Who had written the song. perched high up in the tree tops, sat a little bird, just singing his heart out. up until a few days ago, i had never seen him around here before. but i sure am glad he came. i hope he likes it and decides to stay. i've started calling him the 'zebra bird' because of the brown and black stripes on his neck.
he has such a sweet song. it's loud, full of joy, and almost makes you feel like you're resting in the tropics. the other day i was hanging out laundry to dry, when he just showed up out of nowhere, just as happy as can be! i smiled. i think he likes to play hide and seek. he just shows up, totally out of nowhere, and starts singing for a few long minutes. then he takes off and you might not hear him again for hours.
i love it when he comes around. his song is distinct from all the birds around here. i sat in awe of God this morning just because of this one little guy. it's amazing how God created each bird so differently with their own unique song. kinda like you and me.
it's been a lovely and restful day. i had the day off, so i spent the morning noticing the birds, ran some errands with my dad (our idea of daddy/daughter time), and then spent the afternoon in the hammock. lately i've been noticing the little things - a lot. the sound of the wind. the crowing of my dads chickens. the birds. the blooms. the little waterfall in the creek at the back of my parents property.
today, as i laid in the hammock, with my big straw Mexican hat on to keep the sun off my face, a thought crossed my mind. and with a smile on my lips, i thought, "what a great day to be alive!" i'm trying not to think so much about the past or the uncertainty of the future, but just trying to rest in the moment. the here and now. or the now and here. the nowhere, as Brennan Manning says.
in his own words:
"Amid the breathtaking beauty of County Kerry in southwestern Ireland, Fionn MacCumhaill asked his followers,
"what is the finest music in the world?"
"The cuckoo calling from the tree that is highest in the hedge," cried his merry son.
'A good sound," said Fionn. "And Oscar," he asked, "what is to your mind the finest of music?"
"the top of music is the ring of a spear on a shield," cried the stout lad.
"it is a good sound," said Fionn.
And the other champions told their delight:
the belling of a stag across the water, the baying of a tuneful pack heard in the distance, the song of a lark, the laughter of a gleeful girl, or the whisper of a loved one.
"they are all good sounds," said Fionn.
"tell us, chief," one ventured, "what do you think?"
"the music of what is happening," said great Fionn, "that is the finest music in the world."
he goes on to say:
"the music of what is happening can be heard only in the present moment, right now, right here. now/here spells nowhere. to be fully present to whoever or whatever is immediately before us is to pitch a tent in the wilderness of Nowhere. it is an act of radical trust - trust that God can be encountered at no other time and in no other place than the present moment. being fully present in the now is perhaps the premier skill of the spiritual life."
"there is only now. thus Jesus counsels, "do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink or about your body, what you will wear" (matt 6:25). instead, Jesus says, "look at the birds (vs 26)."
2 comments:
we have these tiny birds that fly in groups. they swarm a tree or one of my climbing roses and eat bugs, all the while making this sweet little cheeping sound. Drives the cat nuts! I'll never forget the year they had a nest in our tree. Looked like a sack and i can't tell you how many were in that nest. now when i see them or any of the others around I will think of that verse and find peace in this craziness called life. Thanks, glad you shared this! I needed it!
I teach this often that the Holy Spirit is only in the now. He was there in the past and will be in our future but if we want to FEEL God we have to be experiencing the now moment. When we are feeling disconnected from Him it's usually because we are distracted and not paying attention to the now moments of the bird singng and the wind blowing. The reason worship is so intense if for a few moments we are really present and when we are we experience God which is so powerful. We would be blown away if we stayed present all the time!
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