outside my window

admin – October 5, 2021 6 Comments

Judson Chubbuck’s gifts of worship and wise counsel have blessed our community since the early days of New Covenant. May his words encourage you today. –Renée 

Outside My Window- September 30, 2021

Fourteen forlorn feathered faces in the redbud tree stared into my living room during my morning coffee. Watering my parched lawn last night had so softened the soil around the bird feeder that it fell flat into the yard and the poor sparrows were disoriented by its absence and couldn’t find their breakfast now spilled on the ground. 

Usually I’m tender-hearted about such matters, but only until after a certain quota of caffeine is met most mornings. I responded to their pleading little faces, “Boys and girls, you’ll just have to wait on this one. I’ll have to change my shoes and my nightshirt before I go out on that wet lawn and fix your muddy predicament! Go find your breakfast somewhere else!” 

But the birds didn’t budge and continued to stare into the empty space where they once received their daily sustenance. I was in a testy mood so I armed myself with stronger words and told them…a note for those concerned with my mental health: I grew up on a farm where conversations with animals were normal. We only grew concerned when people heard the animals talk back, so back to the sparrows… in a stronger tone and vocabulary I raised my complaint, “Maybe you’re missing something important to you, but I’m missing somethings important to me too! I used to lean on neighbors, government, nature, society, little get-togethers, and Jesus’ church for significant socio/psycho/spiritual sustenance and hope for my day, but that all seems to be going to pot the last two years! It’s difficult some mornings to feel any hope or energy! You’ll just have to wait!”

Well, the sparrows appeared utterly unmoved by my complaint and continued to sit and stare though the window except for a few who fluttered in the empty space where the bird feeder had stood. Their futile fluttering and my own heartfelt complaint seemed to get me moving in a better direction. I thought of the words to a verse of a song inspired by sparrows:

Just like the sparrow waits for the morning light 
Hoping her new day dawns fair
So she can rise and search for the food that she needs
So my heart longs for you Lord, to see me through
If I didn’t have your help Lord, don’t know what I’d do.
My hope depends on you.

Supplied by that thought and inspiration, I walked outside wearing my moccasins and night shirt and went to the garage to get my sledge hammer. I separated the bird feeder pole and looked for a new spot to plant it. It was clear I just needed to go deeper into the ground, and deeper into the Spirit too. I tapped the pipe 9 times with the sledgehammer head and whispered a word at each tap: “Love…joy… peace… patience… kindness… goodness… faithfulness… gentleness… and self-control.” 

The sparrows and I both felt better and ready to face another day. So may all of God’s sparrows find the sustenance they need to carry them through this day. AMEN.