I stood in our backyard and nearly squealed. “This is perfect!” I said to hubby when he described the bird feeder and bath he installed. “No doubt, this will be a heavenly hangout for all kinds of birdies. Can’t wait to see what show they’ll put on!”
Hold it,” he said and darted inside, “got to plug it in. It has a pump so the water stays fresh.”
Glued to the window, my granddaughter, hubby and I waited. When would the first visitor come to relish in the amenities?
None came the first day. But the second day, a small bird stopped by. With one swoop, he swooshed from the tree, grabbed a seed and soared right back to the same tree.
What? Are you kidding? That’s it? No relaxing in the bath, hanging around, or doing some cute things to entertain us? All that preparation and this silly feathered creature dismissed the amenities in his five-star deluxe lodging?
His bird brain mirrors mine…maybe yours too. How often have we done the same thing: flew by to grab a verse from God’s Word and back to our tree of tasks. No relishing in the amenities to delight our soul. No taking time to ponder or reflect in the food He prepared. No time to even bathe in the freshness of His love.
This reminder made my own feathers flutter with conviction: “Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike…You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your rivers of delight…” (Psalm 36: 5-9).
Father, I confess I missed those rivers of delight. I overlooked the food that nourishes my soul. And I dismissed the fountain of your goodness. All because of the tasks of the day, the demands of the world, and the self-imposed busyness of life. I commit to stop by, stay longer, delight more deeply and drink abundantly from the waters that quenches my parched soul. In Jesus’s name, amen.
• What has you rushed these days?
• How do you replenish your soul’s cravings?
• Have you enjoyed what God has to offer lately?
Janet Eckles Blindness tried to darken Janet’s life. And tragedy tried to defeat her through the murder of her youngest son followed by the acquittal of the man responsible. But instead of defeat, Janet found peace. And God’s grace brought sweet triumph. So Janet gathered insights, claimed God’s promises, and found practical steps to bring back joy. She put them all together for you in her latest book, Simply Salsa: Dancing Without Fear at God’s Fiesta.