Sitting on the floor in front of the open window. Early weekend mornings provide the most quiet time in my neighborhood. A gentle rain falls from the sky, and the crickets are still singing their soft night songs. The trees are mostly calm except for the very top of the taller trees as they sway slowly, caressed by the mild morning breeze up above. Temperatures are still warm as August nears its end, but I know cooler days are on the near horizon.
For a while now, I’ve been telling God how much I miss writing. It’s not that there isn’t anything to write about. Life keeps showing fully in all its beauty and difficulties, and God lovingly and patiently keeps revealing Himself in the big and little things. I know the reason why I haven’t sat down to write is found in myself and my very preoccupied mind. The past two years have brought a faster pace of life that my quiet soul is still learning to adjust to.
As the nest is now empty more often than not, I decided to go back to full-time work. I absolutely love my job and developed a desire to further my education. All of a sudden, my mind is filled with lots of interesting, fascinating, and challenging things that take up a lot of time. Adding to this is the noise and busyness of life surrounded by millions of people. The pace is different all around.
This morning, I was looking outside and I noticed a little bird sitting quietly on top of a tree. As the rain fell from the clouds, the little bird would not move nor sing. I stared at it for a while. Up there, on top of the tree, the bird was most certainly getting wet, but it would not move. As soon as the rain stopped, the little bird flew away. Now that it’s raining again, I notice that, actually, there are no birds flying up in the sky.
A quick internet search explains that flying in the rain is more dangerous as it takes more energy, so most birds stay put until the rain stops. You may read about it here. https://www.audubon.org/news/why-do-birds-avoid-flying-rain
As I watched the little bird, God spoke to my heart and reminded me, yet again, of something I know He wants for me. In fact, He mentioned it recently through our pastor at church. When the Israelites were stuck between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army in full pursuit, God, through Moses, tells the panicking, complaining Israelites not to be afraid, to stay firm, and to be silent (Exodus 14: 13, 14). He was taking care of them. And He did. He carried the recently freed slaves through the Red Sea on dry ground, forever separated from their persecutors. They did not have to be afraid and wasted precious energy on useless complaining.
When I find myself in difficult situations, in the challenges of life, and deep in the rudeness of people, I too panic and complain. Even if the words don’t come out of my mouth, they fill my heart, often for days. And I have to admit, it’s exhausting and takes me nowhere. The little bird on top of the tree knew that flying in the rain was going to be exhausting so it stayed put.
To face difficult experiences with calmness and quietness is a difficult lesson to learn, but I know from the rare times that I have stayed still that I am much happier and more content.
The image of the little bird sitting still in the rain will stay engraved in my heart for a long time, and as the rain currently falls hard on my life, I am going to stay firm and still, just like God asks me to, because He’s taking care of me. And when the rain stops, I’ll fly again.