Bird Brain

A robin is determined to fly through my studio window.  It spends hours each day flying into the glass and dropping to the window sill.  From there it darts up to the fence and makes another run at the window.  Over and over, all day long.  He can never catch the other bird, or enter into the house, or whatever his bird-brain is telling him to do, despite repeating the same exercise over and over again.

My bird friend has a vast world in which to seek entertainment.  If it is a partner he wants, there are millions of other robins around that are far less elusive than the one he thinks he sees reflected in the glass.  If it is a threat he perceives, a mere change in perspective is all he needs to realize the error of his ways, although the battering he gives himself each time he throws himself against the window is likely painful enough for him to believe he is being abused!

Albert Einstein reportedly said that the definition of insanity is to repeat the same action expecting different results.

It is a good exercise to consider all the things I have repeated in life to no avail.  Weight loss and controlling people are two that come to mind right away.  It has taken me so many years to understand that control is an illusion, whether over my own life or someone else's.

When I change my perspective to view my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit rather than a battleground for my will, I am able to release my control and consider how best to care for it--which starving and abusing through excessive exercise is not!

Likewise when I consider my propensity to herd others toward my viewpoint of what is right, I have discovered that a change in perspective gives me freedom to allow others to make their own mistakes and revel in their own successes.  I have no guilt if things go awry, nor pride if they do not. There is much peace with this way of life not experienced at any time when I felt the need to direct the lives of those around me.

I can't change the bird's mind, but with the grace (power and ability) of God within me, I can certainly set a different course for my own life.

I pray as you consider the areas in your life in which you are confronted with an impenetrable resistance, you will not repeatedly batter yourself with the same actions only to end with the same miserable resulting experiences.  Rather, I hope you will tap into God's grace and allow Him to change your perspective so that you may see your situation in a different light, with different solutions to your problems or such a changed view that you realize your problems were merely figments of your imagination after all.

Pride and Self-worth

It isn't very fun to discover that my behavior often stems from the idea that "I know the right way, so I am doing it that way." One of my favorite teachers asserts that those who have to always be right in any given argument or situation are acting out of pride, and before they can really have any significant transformation in their lives, they must deal with that spiritual blockage. (moan)

I often say, "I'm proud of ..." It may be my children, my work, my writing, my progress, etc. Some might say I have a "right" to be proud of those things. When I consider that Jesus is living in me, that all I do is a reflection of His work, I have no right to be proud, only extremely grateful. It is HIS presence in my children's lives that make them the man and woman they are. It is HIS inspiration and motivation to press on that enables me to accomplish any worthwhile goal, be it creatively or in the physical realm. I am only a vessel, a cracked pot as it were, and as such there is nothing in me other than Christ to be "proud" of.

However, there is much to be grateful for, and as I discover words and ways to demonstrate my appreciation for all that God has done in the lives of my family and myself, hopefully my pride will subside and be replaced by an overwhelming sense of gratitude and praise for His magnificent love, grace and mercy--none of which can I lay claim to on my own merit.

I have learned there is a difference between pride and self-worth.  Pride is a self-righteous feeling that comes from things I do.  Self-worth is an awareness of who I am in Christ and the great value God places on my life because Jesus has given me to His Father.  Pride rejoices in behavior and situations I feel responsible for, but self-worth is not related to anything I can do; only the awareness that the creator of the universe thought enough of me to make sure every good thing was available to me without my having to life a finger to get them.   

May your heart be touched by the immense value God has placed on your life.  In response to that great love may you in turn reach out to others with all your gifts, talents and encouragement. 

Need

A much loved and re-read novel tells of a twenty-something spinster living with her mother and aunt in a dreary, unloving environment.  She has developed a heart condition and covertly seeks the counsel of a local physician who informs her by mail that she has but a short time to live.  With nothing to lose, she throws off the restraints of her meddling and belittling family that previously hindered her from fully living.

She leaves her sanctimonious mother's home to care for a dying motherless friend whose life was marked by disgrace; the daughter of a local drunkard.  While there she befriends and falls in love with a mysterious man known about town as "notorious."

Several weeks after she assumes her role as care-giver, her friend passes away and she is left to deliberate her future. She has not told her family of her impending demise, but she cannot imagine returning to her former dreary existence, so she asks her notorious new friend if he will marry her.  To her surprise, he agrees.

With the freedom to discover herself and the remarkable world around her, she is transformed from a dull spinster to a fascinating woman.  Her appearance improves, and even the usual colds and other indignities of an unhappy life desert her entirely.  In the end, a moment of extreme happiness cures her heart condition--inaccurately represented by the doctor who had received startling news just as he finished examining her and erroneously sent her the letter that was to go to another patient.

The thing that strikes me most fervently each time I read the story is how it took the belief that she had nothing left to lose before she determined to take her life into her own hands.  When she believed she had no other options, she silently suffered through ignominious insults and grievous family gatherings.  Once her perspective altered and she had no fear for the future, she went after that which she wanted:  to be needed.

While good works will not ever gain us anything from our Heavenly Father who has already given us every good thing, they do serve the purpose of satisfying a God-given desire to feel needed by someone.

It is natural to exchange with others the experience of feeling and meeting needs. My wish for you is that you learn how to offer and graciously receive love and care from others as an expression of God's wonderful love.  May you always feel a need to experience His lavish love and ultimately the satisfaction of believing you already have it.

Midnight Mockingbird

I was awakened in the night by the cheerful sounds of a lone mockingbird.  He must have taken a few sips from a discarded energy drink can, for he sang exuberantly and with abandon. I thought about him standing atop the highest peak around and pouring his joy into song which reverberated among the few houses nearby.  I smiled to think of him disregarding conventional birdsong time and ignoring the darkness surrounding him to rejoice in his talent.   I wondered if he was celebrating some momentous event, was  ridiculously happy to see spring arrive early, or if he had just rediscovered a forgotten tune. 

This midnight awakening held many lessons for me.

1. Never fear the darkness around you, no matter how oppressive.  The song in your heart will lighten even the darkest of days when it is broadcast afar.

2. Traditions are not sacred.  If my bird-friend had sung during the day among the noise and distractions therein, I would not have heard him at all.  By choosing an alternative time he held a captive audience.

3. Don't be afraid to stand out. There were likely others in the houses nearby who were not as content to be awakened by his song. There will always be critics, no matter how well executed your talent.

4. Celebrations are important.  My feathered friend reminded me that while I should express gratitude for the great things that occur, the simple gift of life is enough to sing about as well.

5. No matter the size of the audience, deliver your good-news-message.  My mockingbird cared not whether anyone heard the delightful trilling of his voice or not. His song had expanded within his heart until he had to let it out or burst.

It is unimaginable for any day begun with a song to turn out to be other than joy-filled.  May your day begin with a song that plays in your heart and brings you joy.