Birds of the Air

I had the delightful privilege of running on Sunday morning. Overnight, an unexpected 4 inches of snow fell and I was able to get out before much digging had occurred. There is something remarkable about strapping on the running shoes and Yaktrax, not knowing what the experience may hold. To add to the unknown, I brought along Theo, my 11 month old Portuguese Water Dog. We had a time of it. I did my best to stay in the tire treads and not slip. Theo, being terrible on the leash kind of whipped me this way and that. Once he got tired, though, he stayed close.

God, through his perfect repetition, is teaching me a very important lesson. I am being constantly reminded of the passage beginning in Matthew 6:
"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27

As I was leaving the neighborhood, I looked up and in the trees lining the road were robins...hundreds of them, feasting on the winter berries. I couldn't believe my eyes, the sheer magnitude of birds on this snowy, cold morning. No foliage in sight, except berries. All of the robins in Southwest Longmont must have been there at that moment. I was mesmerized and cheered beyond words. Not only were they colorful, but they were FAT! I love fat birds. Isn't that just amazing, that God would give the birds more than enough?

Theo and I continued our interesting gait over to the reservoir about a mile and a half away. We "ran" to the entrance and looked out on the ice and noticed three coyotes traversing the expanse. It was miraculous, to say the least. Their coats weren't ratty, they were not starving, they were obviously well fed and nourished. I was so grateful for that moment, to see these beautiful creatures being cared for perfectly by our heavenly Father.

So, if God takes abundant care of coyotes and robins, why do I spend so much mental energy in worry? It not only gets me nowhere, but quite possibly may send me backwards. I exhaust myself by running this scenario and that possibility, instead of resting at the feet of my shepherd. When it's time to move, He will lead, He will let me know.

In our book study, "Scouting the Divine", by Margaret Feinberg, she says,

"For the sheep that always wanders off - and leads other sheep astray in the process - a shepherd my resort to breaking a leg of the sheep. Then the shepherd would hand feed the sheep and carry it until the bone mended, hopefully curing it of its desire to wander."

This is God's perfect, loving discipline. He will maim me at times, in order to get me to seek Him fully, instead of the addictions I've maintained or the "half assed" attempts at happiness I find myself pursuing. No! He loves me that much that he would rather carry me around, holding me, allowing me to heal. I am so humbled by this thought. He would rather do all the work and injure me, so that my whole being will trust him alone. Amazing.