Birds bring heaven to earth

I hope you love birds, too.

It is economical.

It saves going to Heaven.

–Emily Dickinson, 1885

It began this week: that nearly constant stream flowing down the back of my throat. That crackling sound in my ears. An itchy nose. And the tickles—the ones only a quick cough can remedy.

I am describing seasonal allergies, of course. This is the 10th year I have reacted to spring in this manner. Last year I recognized the symptoms and chose a proactive approach. I trotted myself to the doctor for some prescriptive relief.

This year I have taken a more natural approach by eating better, working to manage my sleep better, drinking more water and caffeine-free tea, and sticking with my walking routine. I will not, under any circumstances —other than near hurricane conditions — stop my daily walk. That is because our days are glorious.

Look around you. There are a thousand shades of green out there. There are skies filled with dramatic clouds. And the birds—their early morning chorus feeds my soul as nothing else on this earth. To wake to the sound of birds filtering in through my open bedroom windows is heaven.

For weeks I walk in the early-morning dark and silence. I do it because I know that regular movement is good for me. And when the dark feels oppressive my walking partner and I talk about the hope of spring. We remind each other on a regular basis that our reward is coming.

And each year when the birds migrate back to Western Washington I am absolutely astounded at the million little rewards that venture our way. This year the swallows have captured my fancy as they glide and swoop through the air in search of those unassuming insects in flight. And the tohees, who hop along our deck with such cockiness. Their playfulness is delightful.

I frequently laugh at myself for enjoying such simplicities. After all, this is the age of technology. I am but one among over 6 billion human beings living during these modern times. There is enough political intrigue, wartime news, and Internet surfing to grab hold of my imaginations. And that does not even include the teenage drama that drives in and out of our driveway each day! My attentions are frequently focused elsewhere.

So what about the birds? Who cares? How can they possibly compete?

I care about them because I continually ask God to help me notice those things around me that expresses in simple ways the lessons He wants me to learn. This week, during my daily Bible reading, I read in the book of Luke a simple passage that talks about worry, using as an example — you guessed it! — a bird. See what God has to say about ravens, those sizeable black birds that can be rather noisy in the morning and who value their territories to such an extent that they are perfectly willing to harass even the big boys like the bald eagles:

Consider the ravens:

They do not sow or reap;

they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.

And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

–Luke 12:24-26

It is my experience with faith that this is what God wants us to regularly experience. He teaches by repetition. He wants us to notice the yearly return of the birds and He wants us to read His words so often that such wisdom easily and readily comes to mind. It is the loveliest of God’s ways: that He would deliberately speak to us, using a soft and subtle approach at times.

God is easily missed if we forget to step away from our busyness and move outside of our worlds to walk quietly and turn our attentions to Him. God’s message is easily missed if we never open the Bible and read what He has to say. God’s comfort is missed if we refuse to self-reflect at some point each day.

So what might God be saying to any one of us this week? I think He might want us to take a good look at our stress and worry levels. Are you prone to headaches? Indigestion? Muscle tension? How about illnesses that present themselves when your autoimmune system is weakened?

Yet how can we avoid stress? We live in a busy, worrisome, world.

Rather than discounting our struggles, God tells us to take a cue from the birds, of all things. Go ahead and make some good, solid plans. Work hard. Face your troubles. But do not waste any effort worrying about every little “what if.” Let the Creator of the universe shoulder most of the worry because He promises to meet our needs as consistently as He sends the birds back to us.