Have You Noticed The Birds Today?

June 17, 2020

By Jeff Page

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. (Matthew 5:26)

See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If 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? (Matthew 6:28-30)

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t You care if we drown?” (Mark 4:37-38)

Recently I went into a time of prayer with a significant amount of unrest concerning the state of our world. The pandemic, the quarantine, the murder of George Floyd, and the rioting left me deeply unsettled. As I approached Jesus in prayer, I was surprised at the image of Christ I encountered in my mind. There was Jesus, calmly laying in a green field with a stalk of long grass resting between His teeth. 

As I accepted His invitation to join Him, He calmly asked me, “Have you noticed the birds today?” 

Bewildered I replied, “Um… I’m really upset here.” 

“I know. Have you smelled a pikake, or plumeria lately?” He was completely relaxed.

“Really? I’m wrestling with darkness and suffering that is smothering our nation, and our world; the evil and injustice of it all…” 

“When was the last time you pondered birds-of-paradise or an orchid in bloom?” 

“Jesus, I’m really upset here, and I have some things to talk about.” 

“I know you do,” Jesus said, “But I have surrounded you with reminders of what is true and good and beautiful for a reason. Only someone well-grounded in the lessons they teach will be of any help.”

For most of the day I was dazed and unsatisfied by Christ’s relaxed and easy posture. It was totally out of sync with reality that I was experiencing. If Chicken Little ever had a reason to declare the sky falling, now was his time. 

Later I recalled an experience I had when flying through a winter storm into my hometown of Buffalo, New York. The plane lurched up and down and banked left and right. Nauseous and afraid, I looked toward the front of the plane where I saw a flight attendant yawn. I was terrified. She was yawning. She knew about the plane what Jesus knows about our universe: the person in control is immensely competent and will handle the turbulence. 

Have you noticed the birds today? 

Prayer: May the birds and the flowers teach you their lessons. May the nearness of God and Jesus' astonishingly calm demeanor (peace) guard your heart and mind in our tumultuous world. Philippians 4:5-7

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