Be Present: Far More Than Birds by Elisa Brown

I am not much of a bird watcher but I know people who can identify a bird by their song! That is incredible to me. I did, however, become a more interested in birds the first time I went to Africa. I noticed that none of the birds I saw were familiar to me and I realized that ALL of the birds – even the crows – were different than North American feathered creatures. Suddenly I became interested in naming and identifying as many birds as I could. There was the Pied Crow, Horn Bills, Lauries, Bee Eaters, Sunbirds, Fish Eagles, Bishops, Tit Mouse but my favorite became the Lilac Breasted Roller. These birds are bright purple, with a long tail, and bright turquoise on their chest and wings. They love to sit on telephone wires so while driving if you look close you can see them along the roadside.

Have you ever just sat and watched birds? Have you noticed them looking back through their minds about what happened and why they missed the tasty insects last week? Or maybe they are analyzing why that lovely female bird ignored their courting attempts? Or were the birds you watched trying to fit into another coat of feathers – one flashier than the dull brown they had on? Maybe the worried look on their face is because they are afraid the fish might run out and they will be left with nothing to eat! No, of course it seems silly to think about birds acting like this (like humans) because that is not their nature. “Worry” is unknown to birds or any creature besides humans.

Recently I spent a few days at Cape MacClear on Lake Malawi (Africa) and we hired a boat to take us out to feed the Fish Eagles. These are large eagles that are brown with a white head and they live near rivers and lakes to catch their favorite food - fish. They are smaller than a Bald Eagle but are just as regal in their appearance. Our boat driver took us out and as we neared an island where the birds roost he let out a loud, shrill whistle that sounded amazingly like the eagle’s cry! After calling a few times he threw out some fish into the water and we waited patiently. Sure enough after a few minutes we heard the eagle calling and could see her in the tree. After she felt it was safe she flew down expertly and picked the fish right up off the water and went back to her perch to eat it.

Jesus says, “Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.” [Matthew 6:26, Message] The last phrase “careless in the care of God” strikes me – does it impact you? The birds are not worried about their food or feathers because of the care of GOD. There is a sense of being carefree because someone else is in charge and providing their needs. They are fully present, not troubled by the past or future, unfettered by worry.

I want to apply that to my life. . . I want to be carefree as a bird who sings their songs, builds their nests, and collects food every day trusting the Father who provides. Not just careless (because responsibility is important) but careless because of GOD’s care! This gives me freedom and peace to trust my life to His care because in Matthew 6, Christ Jesus goes on to say, “And you count far more to him than birds.”

Encounter Prayer:

¹ Lord who rules over all,
      how lovely is the place where you live!
 ² I long to be in the courtyards of the Lord's temple.
      I deeply long to be there.
   My whole being cries out
      for the living God.
 ³ Lord who rules over all,
      even the sparrow has found a home near your altar.
   My King and my God,
      the swallow also has a nest there,
      where she may have her young.
 ⁴ Blessed are those who live in your house.
      They are always praising you.  Amen. --Psalm 84:1-4 [NIrV]

Encounter:

• What aspects of your job description, family role, course/major cause you the most worry?
• When you feel overwhelmed with your concerns about the past, present, and/or future, where do you go for relief, inspiration, recalibration?  How do you deal with the stress?
• What steps might you take to trust more of your life to GOD?  What practical lessons have you learned from GOD's creation?

Devotional by Elisa Brown.  Photo by Todd Rosspencer.  Posted by A. Allan Martin by permission.