It's May and this is the season to get out there and look for the birds that are heading north after our long winter and slow coming spring.
It was about 6 springs ago that my cousin Maria introduced me to the joy of birdwatching. At the time Caleb was still in high school and loved to tease me about heading out with my binoculars and bird book to scour the forests and swamps in the area. He considered it a "Senior" interest. Maybe he's right and we finally have the wisdom to realize what we are missing by not noticing the beauty that surrounds us.
Anyway...birding has become a devotional exercise for me. Especially on those first excursions I was amazed at how God spoke to me through the process of watching for the birds. I hesitate to tell you what I learned because I want to you to try it and see what God says to you. On the other hand, perhaps if I share a couple of things you can add to my learnings by sharing yours.
One of the first things I noticed as we walked through Horicon Marsh, outside Waupun, WI, was that there were so many birds who were not in the trees, or flying through the air. Instead of looking up to the heavens I was scouring the grasses and branches of bushes, very close to the ground. I sensed God saying, "Don't assume you have to look to the heavens for me either. I am right here...on the ground... in the grass and ordinary places of life.
As I began watching for the birds I learned to "scan." You don't start by using binoculars. You scan the grass, the trees, the sky. You look for movement, flashes of color, and you listen. When you see the movement, see the color, or hear the song, then you zero in and use your binoculars. It again seemed to me that God was saying, "Watch for me! Scan the horizons. Look for the movement in the grass. Listen for my voice, and hear my song. Look for flashes of the Spirit. I am all around. Don't miss me, and when you see me at work focus in. See what I am up to. Listen long enough to understand. Take time to learn to spot me. I desire to be found."
God is so good. God wants to be found by all of us. I wonder why I forget that sometimes. Why do I rush around, refusing to BE STILL AND KNOW that God is God, and God loves to spend time with us. For me it is time to get the binoculars out and go for a walk with God. That works for me. But I am really curious...what works best for you? I would love to hear how you best spend time with God. Where do you find and hear him?
It was about 6 springs ago that my cousin Maria introduced me to the joy of birdwatching. At the time Caleb was still in high school and loved to tease me about heading out with my binoculars and bird book to scour the forests and swamps in the area. He considered it a "Senior" interest. Maybe he's right and we finally have the wisdom to realize what we are missing by not noticing the beauty that surrounds us.
Anyway...birding has become a devotional exercise for me. Especially on those first excursions I was amazed at how God spoke to me through the process of watching for the birds. I hesitate to tell you what I learned because I want to you to try it and see what God says to you. On the other hand, perhaps if I share a couple of things you can add to my learnings by sharing yours.
One of the first things I noticed as we walked through Horicon Marsh, outside Waupun, WI, was that there were so many birds who were not in the trees, or flying through the air. Instead of looking up to the heavens I was scouring the grasses and branches of bushes, very close to the ground. I sensed God saying, "Don't assume you have to look to the heavens for me either. I am right here...on the ground... in the grass and ordinary places of life.
As I began watching for the birds I learned to "scan." You don't start by using binoculars. You scan the grass, the trees, the sky. You look for movement, flashes of color, and you listen. When you see the movement, see the color, or hear the song, then you zero in and use your binoculars. It again seemed to me that God was saying, "Watch for me! Scan the horizons. Look for the movement in the grass. Listen for my voice, and hear my song. Look for flashes of the Spirit. I am all around. Don't miss me, and when you see me at work focus in. See what I am up to. Listen long enough to understand. Take time to learn to spot me. I desire to be found."
God is so good. God wants to be found by all of us. I wonder why I forget that sometimes. Why do I rush around, refusing to BE STILL AND KNOW that God is God, and God loves to spend time with us. For me it is time to get the binoculars out and go for a walk with God. That works for me. But I am really curious...what works best for you? I would love to hear how you best spend time with God. Where do you find and hear him?
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