There’s something special about birds. When I was in high school biology class, we did a birdwatching trip that everyone seemed to loathe. Oh, how I’d love to revisit it. It was dreadful primarily because we had to gather at the school really early in the morning, before the sun came up. I was so tired. And it was cold. Our biology teacher was a small, peppy blonde who was always so excited about animals. “None of God’s creatures is ugly,” she said, as we were once dissecting an earthworm and one kid found it somewhat revolting.

We’d spent the semester studying birds, among other creatures. We had to draw pictures of various birds we’d seen when out and about. On the particular morning of our bird watching trip, we set out in a long yellow school bus, all 20-something of us 16-year-olds and we rode out to Virginia’s iconic Eastern Shore. We took a hike, with our bird watching books in hand, and kept an eye to the sky and trees. We spotted various seagulls, herrings, mockingbirds, and crows. We were then tasked with drawing diagrams of the ones we’d spotted.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is out of Matthew chapter 6 (verses 25-34). Jesus says, “This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you – you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I try to look at the birds more often. And this isn’t just because birdwatching is a relatively safer hobby as I age (compared to jiu jitsu and running). Birds truly are beautiful. They sing pretty songs; some squawk; some seem to even laugh. Some would say I’m crazy or too spiritual or reading in to it too much, but I tend to think God is talking to me or sending me a “sign” when a bird flies right by me.

I’m entering a new phase of life right now, a premature retirement of sorts, actually. I have a few reservations about this, as it’s a tremendous pay cut. As I jogged on the beach the other morning with my dog, a Monday morning, feeling a little guilty (as I felt like a teenager playing hooky from school), I looked out over the bay and saw a bird soaring. He was majestic. A bald eagle. He soared over the water and then landed on a piling for a minute. He looked around then took off and sored over to another piling. When he perched, he just sat and looked out over the water. It’s like he was at peace. Not worried. Even the plethora of unexceptional seagulls seemed to have their needs met. I took the sight to mean God was telling me to relax and enjoy the time off.

And this morning while running over a bridge, I saw a few pelicans flying over. Pelicans are among my favorite birds. Toward the end of my run I saw a pelican perched in the water, floating atop the creek like a duck in a bathtub. Along the marsh there was a sandpiper, pecking away at the mud. Even his needs are met.

And the lone male cardinal who perches in the bushes in my backyard. So elegant. Resting. His bright red coat stands out among the gray sky of early winter, like nature’s Christmas ornament. Sometimes a female cardinal will come along and perch near him.

As I played frisbee with my dog in the backyard yesterday, an airborne frisbee landed in one of the bushes. Just near it was an intricate little bundle of brush with a clear plastic bag mixed in. It was shaped like a little felt bowl, perfectly round, about 4 inches round and 3 inches tall. I couldn’t resist looking in it. I tipped it with my finger, hoping to eyeball some little robin eggs. It was empty. I enjoyed my little find briefly then went back to playing frisbee.

In this world of “never enough” and rushing and fear – fear of not having enough – enough food, enough time, enough money, enough love, enough clothing, housing, etc., birds are a simple reminder to me of God’s promises. The birds, as lovely as they are, don’t sow or reap or store away in barns, yet the Lord feeds them. And I am more valuable than they. So are you. I should seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to me.

There’s a lot to unfold there – in seeking the kingdom and God’s righteousness. But I think a good place to start is at taking time to look at the birds. The woodpeckers on the pole in my neighborhood, the pelicans hovering over the Lafayette River, the pigeons on the telephone wire just outside my house, the crows and Canadian geese I can never seem to get away from; the poised eagle at the beach, the flitting hummingbird and the resting mallards. Each unique and beautiful. Birds seem at peace when they fly and when they sing, when they perch and float and do all they do. I especially admire the little brown-purplish ones that gather and peck away at feed on the ground.

I want to spend more time looking at the birds and less time worrying. I think in that, I might learn a little more about the kingdom and His righteousness. It starts with slowing down and looking around. So take time today to look at the birds. ~

a bald eagle perched over the waters of the Chesapeake Bay