The other morning my kids were getting ready for school and as I was walking into the kitchen I heard a loud thump by the window. Naturally I was curious so I looked over and saw a bird sitting with his little legs out in front of him, in a stuffed animal sort of way. I realized immediately that he had flown into the window and for the moment was injured enough to impair his flying. At once the tone in my house changed from slowly moving around to excessive chatter and a call for action. Though it was just a bird, when you add children to the mix, it becomes much more. My sensitive daughter was near tears wondering what we can do. Tim was not all that interested in rescuing the bird, but quick to remind us of all the disease a bird can carry. So I just sat there with my thoughts wondering what to do, and imagining the laughter I might get if I called animal control about this bird. I told Cayden to keep an eye on it while I finished the interrupted process of showering. By the time I had finished drying off, Cayden came running in exclaiming how the bird had flown off on his own. It just needed some time to get it’s bearings. God was watching that little “insignificant” bird, and when that bird had enough time he was up on it’s way. All that running around, and really, we didn’t have to do anything. That bird was already taken care of.
I went back in my room and started blow drying my hair and I was immediately reminded how often we run around trying to fix things on our own when life is not running as we feel it should. When we see someone hurting, we run around frantically first trying to figure out the best way we can deal with the situation. If life is in a spiraling direction going no where but down, we try all kinds of avenues to make it better. How often do we run crazy before we stop and turn to God? How many times do we say a quick prayer in the midst of attempting to solve our own problem? Of course I am not at all suggesting when someone is in need that we just sit and do nothing. It is our responsibility to love on those around us, especially the hurt and oppressed. I also am not suggesting that when troubled times come to be lazy and do nothing because God already has it figured out. I am simply suggesting that we pause for a moment and take time to really focus on asking God for guidance. Not guidance “on the go”. Sometimes we have already done ALL that WE can do, and we need to wait for God to help us get our bearings straight before we can fly off in the right direction. As well, sometimes, it isn’t up to us to fix the problems around us, with our friends, family members, school, etc. Sometimes God just wants us to assist. He already knows what is going to happen. He just needs us there. Not to take it all on. Not to hold the problem together. Just to be a piece of all that he has in works.
Matthew 6:26 says, Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
This just makes me smile. May God give you the strength and wisdom to know how to handle life’s gifts and unexpected issues. May you learn to pause… and rely on HIS guidance and in that may you find His peace and most of all feel how much the heavenly Father LOVES YOU!
This is the hope I have for me and my family 
