I first noticed the mess of grass and weeds hanging down from above two of our motion lights in our driveway. Then, I noticed a robin, grass in mouth, on our roof, watching me as if she wasn’t going to move until I left, and then in she swooped to drop off the grass and fly away. Surely she realized it wasn’t exactly a safe place for a nest. Obviously not, as she continued her building, and eventually settled down on this precarious, messy heap—well, so it looked to me. I watched her for several weeks. She would get up and move around at times, apparently moving the eggs. And then, the miracle happened, and we could see little beaks over the edge of the nest and hear the squeaks of hungry babies.
Here is where the miracle increased. We would watch her fly in with a worm in her mouth. Then we noticed a second robin on the roof with something in his mouth—yes, dad had arrived and was doing his part. We watched mesmerized as they flew in and out constantly to feed those hungry chicks.
Jesus, in His sermon we have been looking at, encouraged His followers to:
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away on barns, and yet Your Heavenly Father feeds them.”
Well, as I watched all those worms found and eaten, I wondered at the provision of the Father. Indeed, when Mother Robin, having raised that first brood, returned to lay a second lot of eggs, I urged the parents to visit my neighbors who watered their lawns to hopefully find the worms they needed in the middle of our dry summer!
Yet obviously they managed as we watched a second group of fat babies hovering on the edge of the nest, reluctant to take that first flight!
Jesus is admonishing us not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink, or what we will wear. And he gave us the picture of the birds and of the flowers. Well, my birds were busy taking care of their brood. There was no sitting around, waiting for the worms to drop from the sky. But, in the way I love to imagine all wildlife does, they were just doing what their instincts told them to, and the provision of God was there for them.
In his beautiful psalm, the psalmist paints a wonderful picture of how God provides for the trees, the birds, and the wild beasts:
“These all look to You to give them their food at the proper time.” Psalm 104:27
And, asks Jesus, how much more valuable you are than they, or than the lilies of the field or the grass.
Do not worry/be concerned/be anxious… Can anyone add an hour to their life or an inch to their height (though my grandson would like to!)?
The invitation is to trust. You still go to work to provide the money for your needs; you still prepare the meals for your family; you still make sure your kids have the clothes they need for school. Just as the birds hunt for food for their young; just as the plants take in the water, the sunlight they need to produce the beautiful flowers. And you do it without anxiety; you do it trusting that your loving, generous Father is with you, enabling you to do what you can to do what is necessary for the day’s needs.
Have you ever lost a job? My husband did at a time when I was not earning. It took about 6 months for him to be employed again. That time included a trip to New Zealand to celebrate my sister’s wedding and my mother’s 80th birthday. Looking back, it is hard to believe we could have done all we did. Were there anxious moments? I am sure there were, especially as job opportunity after opportunity ended without a job offer. But through it all, God was faithful to provide what we needed.
So, what if you find yourself anxious? Life is full of challenges. Or if you are spending too much time being concerned about your clothes or what you are eating? I find it fascinating that this part of Jesus’ sermon covers 10 verses—more than most of His other admonitions. And I wonder if it is even more pertinent to us today than it was in Jesus’ day. “The pagans,” Jesus says, “run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” And where is He suggesting our attention should be? “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”
What then does seeking His kingdom mean? Perhaps it comes down to priorities. How do you spend your money, your time, your energy? Our culture is constantly screaming at us: Try this new diet! Buy these in-style clothes! You are not enough as you are! How much of what we do in response is self-serving and how much is other-centered? How can we focus our lives on what Jesus emphasizes in our relationship with others?
Underlying it all is this: our Father is good and generous and caring. Can we trust Him with all facets of our lives? How do you see God? Do you trust that He will provide; that nothing can separate us from His love? We are constantly telling ourselves stories about the things that happen around us. Challenging those stories may take a change in the big story that we believe. Do I truly believe that I am loved, just as I am; that I am the Beloved of God; that I am so much more valuable in His eyes than I can ever imagine? At that moment when I am disappointed in myself, can I say, yes, that is true, but what is also true is that I am still loved by God. Take your sadness, take your disappointment, take your self-hatred, confess it to your Father; allow the sadness to be, feel the grief, and KNOW that your heavenly Father will comfort you and reassure you.
"Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted."
Take a deep breath and open yourself up to life again. Respond to the gift of life you have today, filled with possibility! Living in the presence of God opens all you will need.
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