With the coronavirus looming in what seems like every corner of the world today, a friend of mine directed me to a sermon by David Platt, “Peace in the middle of pandemic”. I listened intently to the sermon, hoping for some guidance and peace that I felt lacking in my spirit. The sermon directed to scripture in Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” My friend that sent me this sermon then sent me a video of her backyard where there were nothing but birds chirping and singing. In that moment, the birds weren’t worried…they weren’t scared of their future. They were continuing on their lives without prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications and social media outbursts of anger and frustrations. Does this mean that I am not going to social distance myself or that I am not concerned about the state of the world? No. I also believe that God has given us common sense to protect ourselves, our family, and others. Over the past 2 years, God has used birds, Canadian Geese specifically, to speak to us on several occasions, to remind us that He is still there. If you have never read my other blogs about our sweet dog, Miller, and then the follow-up blog called “The Fly Over”, they are tributes not only to the animals, but also gentle reminders of God’s infinite love. Several months ago, our son was offered a position on another baseball team and we were forced to make a decision to leave the baseball team that he had been a part of for 4 years, or to stay. It was an incredibly difficult decision that we did not face lightly and prayed over the situation fervently before feeling God’s leading to make the move to the new team. A few weeks ago, on the cusp of the pandemic, he played the first tournament with his new team (possibly the only one they will get to play). They scrapped and fought and ended up winning the tournament. As the team was lining up on the 3rd base line to receive their trophy and awards, I heard the familiar honking of Canadian Geese, and they got closer and flew over the baseball field. I drew my kid’s attention to it and we watched in awe as those huge birds flew over squawking and honking. I stood there with tears in my eyes, reminded of how God had brought us through so much and was reminding me that He was still there. Yesterday, after two hard and exciting days of calving on the farm, I saddled up Katy and was about to go for a ride and the familiar sound began making its way toward the pasture. The honking began slowly and got louder until I saw them fly off in to the sunset. I felt a peace and calm wash over me, knowing that God cares for those birds, but He cares for me more. If today is a day of anxiety, distress, worry, and discontentment, I urge you to step outside and listen for the birds. Try to drown out the other noises of cars or businesses and just listen. Listen to their gentle chirps and singing…feel the presence of God and His peace wash over you. Even if it is just for a moment, that moment can give you a fresh start with fresh eyes and ears to move forward into a day that may be faced with many trials and anxieties. As I sit here typing this, it is coming a thunderstorm. Despite the noise of the thunder and rain, I still hear the birds. Their songs continue, even through the storm. Is there a reason we should worry today? Yes! Worry about those that do not know Jesus, for He is our only hope. Turn that worry and anxiety into prayers. Listen for the birds, use their songs as a melody for your prayers, and as a reminder that He loves you and He will never leave you…not in the middle of something as small as a thunderstorm nor in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.
“Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’.” Hebrews 13:5
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:34
