Like the Birds

As I sit outside on the back patio this morning enjoying my hot cup of hazelnut coffee I notice a wide variety of cheery birds flitting around. They fly and hop from tree to tree, and bush to bush; they skitter around in the dirt, nibbling on the bits of seed they find. They sing and chirp with delight as they let the golden sunshine warm their feathery little bodies. As I observe their morning activity a curious thought comes to mind… They have not a care in the world (except maybe a rouge cat or hawk to be guard against). Their needs are provided for each and every morning. I seriously doubt that they lay in their nests at night, kept awake with stress and worry the way we humans do. Can you imagine the mamma bird making lists in her mind of all the things she will need to accomplish the following day? Can you imagine her saying to herself, “Let’s see, I have to get up early, gather more twigs to freshen the nest, go find worms and get back to the nest before the children awake, make sure I chew the worms well before feeding my babies…” Can you imagine her letting worry about the future overwhelm her as she tries to settle into that elusive sleep and rest. Can you imagine her letting worrisome thoughts run rampant in her mind, thinking something like this, “What if I oversleep? What if I can’t find any twigs or worms? What if one of the kids gets sick? What if they don’t catch onto this whole flying thing? What will I do when they grow up and leave the nest? What will I do if they never grow up and leave the nest?” Yes, I seriously doubt they have any of these thoughts overwhelming them at night. It’s time to take a lesson from the birds and get a good night’s rest. Worry about tomorrow only steals precious time from today. As our head hits the pillow each night it’s a very good idea to remind ourselves of and thank God for all of His care and provision of that day. We would also be wise to find comfort and peace in handing over all the cares and concerns for the day to come; handing them over to our heavenly Father who never sleeps and always keeps watch over us.

Psalm 4:8, I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone Oh, LORD, make we dwell in safety.

Matthew 6:25- 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?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 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.