… you can see a large part of a residential area which is my neighbourhood. My bed is right next to the window, so when I look out I can see lots of trees. Many years ago my city decided to actively plant and preserve trees, so some of them are very tall by now.
Between two houses I can see a house that is three stories high. And next to it is a large tree that is almost twice the height of the house itself. An old grand-daddy tree. It is a deciduous tree, which means it’s the kind that has leaves all over it.
I’ve seen it turn bright red in autumn and eventually lose it’s leaves. I’ve watched it naked and covered with ice and snow through a long Canadian winter. But now the winter is over and it is full of new, green leaves. But the leaves are still small enough right now that I can even see the squirrels running along it’s countless branches.
This morning I woke very early, but the sun was already up, even though my neighbours were still sleeping. I pulled the blind up high so I could see my entire view while I lay in bed.
I closed my eyes to pray for a while and when I opened them I saw that a bird was perched on a branch in this particular big tree. But instead of sitting on a large, firm branch, this bird had chose a tiny branch near the very top of the tree. A branch that could obviously not adequately hold the bird, because the branch was bent very low from the bird’s weight.
My first thought was: “Stupid bird. It’s got no sense. Doesn’t even know how to pick an adequate branch. Maybe it’s a ‘cuckoo’ bird?”
It was also very windy in my neighbourhood this morning and the trees were waving all over the place. But the harder the wind blew, the tighter this bird gripped his small branch.
It reminded me of that tree scene from the movie: “Crouching Tiger; Hidden Dragon”.
At one point the wind became so fierce that it spun bird and branch together so dramatically that the bird was hanging upside down from the branch. Sometimes it would lose it’s grip with one foot. That foot would wave around wildly, flailing in an attempt to grab the branch again. The bird would continue to spin, teeter and almost fall, but then regain it’s foothold at the last possible second.
At one point, as the wind was spinning him around and around on his tiny wedge of a branch, another, much bigger branch smacked him in the head and he lost his grip.
At this point I actually sat up in bed thinking this was the end of him. But again he regained his grip and balance at the last possible second.
I became so involved watching this big, dumb bird taking this wild ride on this tiny branch, so high in the tree, while he gripped at that branch with all his might, that I just sat there and watched him. Mesmerized by the drama. But I continued to think, “You’re gonna get yourself killed. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
Suddenly, as if God interpreted my worry as a prayer, all the wind suddenly died down. It just completely stopped.
I flopped back down on my bed with a “Thank goodness.”
As I lay there in my bed, I turned back toward the window to look out. The bird sat there just staring back at me. It looked like he was smiling at me. It ACTUALLY looked like he was smiling at me!
Then with the wind calm and the whole neighbourhood in complete silence … it opened it’s wings and gently flew away, soaring on a wind current.
I sighed and thought, “Of course. A bird can fly. It was never in any danger or jeopardy no matter how high up it was. Now who’s the stupid one? It’s not the bird.”
In my anxiety of watching him ride the storm, I had completely forgot the basics:
That-He-Could-FLY!
Then I remembered what I was praying about just before I opened my eyes and saw the bird.
I was asking Jesus to help me continue to know and believe that in my grief and in my pain, no matter how bad things get, he won’t let me fall so hard that I can’t get back up.
And now, thanks to that bird, I know and believe … again.
In fact, that’s probably what that bird was smiling about. You see, not only was he not afraid of falling, he was so certain that his Creator would not let him be in real danger, that he was actually enjoying his ride on the wind. No matter how wild it got. Because that’s what birds are created to do. Ride the wind. It’s not their enemy or something to be afraid of. It’s their source of power.
By the way, do you want to know the last thing I read before I fell asleep last night?
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it’s sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John 3:8
And if that stupid bird can learn to ride the wind, maybe stupid Laura-Lee can too. Who knows. Maybe it’s what I was created to do?
It’s quite amazing the things I see from my window.
*It's time for my Sunday Technology fast and get away from computers and cell phones for a day.
Have a wonderful Sabbath. Thanks taking the time to come here.
Love Laura-Lee
