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.
