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“Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” When you look at a bird, what do you see? Most people see freedom. When a bird isn’t taking care of the basic necessities of life – food, shelter (a nest), and it’s mate and/or offspring, it’s freely soaring through the air. Birds don’t know worry and anxiety. And that’s exactly what God wants for all of His people. It’s why Jesus came – to set the captives free. Not just freedom from sin, but freedom from worry and anxiety. Freedom to live a full and abundant life. Worry goes against faith. Worry says, “I have to be in control.” Faith says, “God is in control.” Worry says, “If I don’t do X, Y, and Z, then my world will fall apart.” Faith says, “God is doing X, Y, Z, and everything else I can’t even see. He’s holding my world together.” Worry will make you sick. Faith will make you well. A bird, which acts only on instinct and not logical thought or emotion, can go about its business freely …Read more
A few years ago, while on a work trip to New York City, a colleague mentioned crossing something off his bucket list the evening before. While I understood the concept, it had never been more than a fleeting thought or a flippant comment for me: “Oh, I can cross [whatever] off the bucket list now!” Yet I was intrigued. This was a person I greatly respected, and that gave the idea more credence and weight. I began to tailor my own list. Around the same time, I was starting to feel rather discontent with a lot of things in my life and, frankly, somewhat stuck. I brought my feelings to God time and time again but was frustrated that I wasn’t able to see any movement or change on the horizon. I decided to take a day off from work on Good Friday and travel from my home in Philadelphia to Washington, DC to see the cherry blossoms in bloom – one of the items on my new bucket list. I drove to the closest Metro stop but after parking, I got slightly turned around and ended up outside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) building. It was there …Read more
“Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” My Sweet Little Elf is sleeping soundly, thank God for afternoon naps. That being said, I’ve to collect my thoughts quickly because soon he’ll be awake and ready to play. Quiet time is a hot commodity around this place and that which makes it so, in my life, is a blessing beyond words. This past Sunday I celebrated the third Easter since my sweet little gnome, my first born son, went home. Gideon Daniel was diagnosed with a brain malformation while I carried him. A diagnosis that became progressively more foreboding until they day of his birth. And when he was born, he was not expected to live more than a few hours. Hours turned into day, days to weeks, and weeks to months. Eleven months. Filled with wonder, and awe and speechlessness at the wonder of God’s mercy. And then, it ended. I am no stranger to worry, eleven months of wonder, were also months of questions and doubt and a battle against fear, against worry. I can’t say that …Read more
I WANT TO SING A warm morning at this time of year was rare, but this morning was just that. As I sat on the porch and enjoyed the coffee, the warmth, the peace … the quiet was interrupted. The interruption came not as a boom of thunder, or a blasting stereo from a passing car … the interruption came as a simple song from a single bird. As I searched the branches and caught a glimpse of the troubadour; the balladeer; the serenader; …I asked myself, “What was this bird made for?” “Why did God put this bird in Oklahoma?” “Why my tree?” “Why this morning?” And the answer became clear, “To sing for you.” This bird was created to sing for me, today. Not for you, not tomorrow. For me. Today. Because this songbird has no worries, no cares, it is free to fulfill its purpose. It’s purpose to sing for me, today. As I listened the seemingly random whistle of it’s song changed to a familiar tune “I want to sing a song for You”. As the words to the Third Day song came to mind, I realized I needed to be more like that bird. The details …Read more
