Last weekend as I was baking dozens of mini muffins for our housewarming party, a bird flew straight into our kitchen window. I was startled by the crash, and eventually I looked around to see a lifeless bird lying there on the ground.
I kept looking out the window, hoping I'd see him start to move about. Finally the flies started to move in, and I had to admit that this little birdie was dead. And I was so sad I couldn't even stand to move him. My poor husband had to deal with the dead bird when he came home.
This new home has been so life-giving for me and for our family. I feel so good when I am here, looking out the windows at the trees, or enjoying the ample outdoor space. We had an amazing (and chaotic) Halloween housewarming party over the weekend that included lots of romps through the woods by bands of kids.
So it was a bit of a shock to confront even a bit of loss in this new uptopia.
But that is the way God works sometimes, no?
Sometimes in the midst of life's abundant goodness, I am given small reminders that my days are numbered. And even the blessing of being surrounded by birds means that some will die, and to celebrate something means the vulnerability of mourning something later. Yet even knowing that I do not know what tomorrow will bring, I need to let the peace of God fill my worrying heart.
One of my favorite Bible verses about worry (and birds!) is from Matthew 6:
"25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than
clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?.....33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Wow! What a great quote. I've been consumed by worry recently, so this one really speaks to me. Thanks, Megan.
ReplyDeleteI too get buried in the worry, to the point that I can often feel sick to my stomach. I remember thinking when we were in the school lottery that I could deal with any outcome - as long as I knew what it was! That's the planner in me coming out. When I finally surrender and give my worries to God I feel better - though easier said than done. A daily practice. Hang in there lady!
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