Sunday, May 22, 2011

a thing about birds (and children)


Birds. They are incredible little creatures, right? Do you ever watch them as they fly? Sometimes so high you can barely see their silhouette. Sometimes, right over head and in large numbers.
One thing I have noticed is how they always seem to perch on the highest branches. A tall roof top, a tiny twig waving in the wind, or all together as a flock. They love the highest peaks, the fresh wind under their wings. They love it because they do not fear it. They know they are not going to fall. They know a force, even though they can not see it, will come bring their wings into the air. They know something that we do not.

I want to ask you what you fear? What holds you back from doing the things you long to do? If you had no fear of falling, of failure, what would you finally do?

God desires us to trust Him. Not only in the easy, but in the difficult. In the messy and disastrous. He calls us to believe that a force we can not see will lift us up and carry us. To leap out in faith with arms wide open.

"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?"  Matthew 6:26

If God sustains the smallest of living creatures, why do we doubt He will sustain us? Oh how it is so easy to have faith when we least need it!!!

























See that sweet baby boy? He is a gorgeous newborn I had the privilege of photographing recently. Those early days are just that, days. Sweet fleeting days. We try to savor it, but it is gone in a blur. What if we could really savor life though? See each moment as what it truly is, a gift. A miracle in the making. What if the worries and everyday stress melted away and we could see and enjoy every moment and every blessing. Like children.
Ever notice how a child will eat a popsicle? With gooey syrup running all over their face and shirt. No hesitation just pure joy? Ever notice the wonder in their eyes when they see a bug or a new flower? The unconditional love as they ask for one more kiss or their favorite book read once more?
EJ loves baths. Eventually though he will ask to come out and I pull the plug and the water quickly begins to drain away. In that moment EJ dives back into the water and swims once more. Until every drop has vanished and then will let me wrap him in his bear towel. He savors every drop.
To live a life of joy and of savoring. The simple, the everyday, can bring the most joy. Joy is not achieving what you most desire. It is finding peace and gratitude in what is already in front of you. To see your life, as it is currently, as a blessing.
The sunlight streaming in through the curtains, little giggles, sweet tea on a hot day. Snuggles with a certain someone fresh from the bath. Every meal and every drop of water. To see the miraculous. To truly live...

I suppose we all could learn a thing or two from birds and children :)
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