Black Bird Singing
No, I’m not going to write about the Beatles song. But a little black bird did visit me a few mornings ago while I was sitting on my back porch. It was a profound experience.
I sit on the porch every morning I can from April to October, watching the sun rise, or the rain fall, or listening to the waves on the other side of the ridge. It’s a beautiful place to meditate, to pray, to read, or to simply be. But this morning? There was more.
A little black bird flew onto the deck outside the porch during my quiet time. He perched on the deck’s railing, peeping in- clearly looking at me. Yes - looking at me! After 2 or 3 minutes, he flew off, but then returned, now sitting on the floor of the deck by the window - looking at me again! He peeped and chirped, and looked around; he watched me a bit, ruffled his feathers a bit, and simply sat there. For a few moments, I thought he might be injured, and I looked carefully to see if there was any sign of a broken wing or other injury. Nope - and soon, he flew off again.
Much to my surprise, he immediately returned — again! This time, perching on the narrow ledge of the screen, level with my face, looking at me again - bold as brass, chirping and peeping as if he were trying to tell me something. Another small grey bird buzzed him a couple of times, but the little black bird simply ignored him and kept looking at me, chirping, peeping, insistently trying to tell me something. Finally, in a ruffle of his feathers and the cock of his head, he flew off into the neighboring tree and didn’t return.
I’d just been journaling about this particular stage in my life, trying to work out some issues I’ve been struggling with - mostly what this next phase would look like; what it could be, should be, oughta be. I’d been thinking on this for some weeks, trying to discern the next steps, what new mantle might become mine. This particular morning as I struggled with what the future might hold, I slowly realized that what I was really dealing with was the fear of not working, the unknown of not being employed since I was 14 years old, of not earning a paycheck. And it was a scary thought - one I was truly wrestling with.
That morning, my faith was a bit shaky, a wobbly, unsteady shuffle instead of the bold strides I wished I possessed. As I said, I was struggling.
Within minutes of my asking God what His thoughts were on this time of my life- my little black bird showed up. I watched him; I was at first concerned, but then fascinated. Then… it dawned on me. Perhaps my little black bird really was trying to tell me something. The Spirit within spoke, and led me to these two verses many of us know so well. I must tell you, though, when the message is preached from the tiny beak of a small bird? It’s compelling!
“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26 NRSV“
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” Matthew 10:29 NRSV
I’ve seen these verses numerous times, probably even offered them up as comfort and counsel to my friends and family who’ve struggled with waiting upon God, trusting in His provision. But in experiencing this word through my little black bird? It was profound indeed.
There are those who will scoff at my flights of fancy (no pun intended); at my thinking that God spoke to me through a bird. I agree, it does seem fanciful, rather “out-there”, and yet. I believe God did reach out to me through that little black bird. I believe that God speaks to all of us through all manner of people and circumstances; through phenomenon both natural and supernatural. But in order to truly see, to really hear, we have to see with our spiritual eyes as well as our natural ones. We have to willingly tune-in to the frequency of Holy Spirit so that we are ready to see and hear God when He moves - which is far more often than we would think. As Jesus told his friends, “You have good eyes but you still don’t see, and you have good ears, and you still don’t hear!” Mark 8:18 TPT. Today, many of us have good eyes, but we see only what we want to see; we have good ears - and we hear only what we expect to hear. Until we are ready and willing to tune in to the frequency of Holy Spirit, we’ll just miss all of those moments that can be so holy, immeasurably sacred, truly transformational.
How different would your own life journey be if you were intentional on really seeing what God might be doing around you, what He might be trying to tell you? Would you have more peace in your daily life if you were willing to see beyond the natural, the usual, the mundane circumstances of your daily routine? Are you willing to suspend your disbelief and believe that, just maybe, God is reaching down, breaking through your stupor, breaking into your heart, reaching beyond the human barrier of your expectations to talk to you - yes, YOU! in whatever way He can.
I believe when God wants to talk to us, He will do whatever is necessary to get our attention, to cause us to really see, to really hear what He has to say. He will use whatever is at hand. It might be your best friend, or a donkey, or a burning bush. It might be in the belly of a big fish. Or it might be a tiny black bird. God’s ways are vastly creative, quite persuasive. We would do well to see and hear before we get swallowed up in the belly of our own despair.
Living with and in the sacred is to understand that there is more to this life than what we can readily see or hear; beyond what we can touch, what we can experience.
Living with the sacred is expecting the holy to appear at any time, in any form.
Living with and seeing the sacred is being willing to see that a little black bird may just be that harbinger of Holy Spirit wisdom we’ve been searching for all along.
And as for my thoughts on the next stage in my life? Ah - well, that my friend, is fodder for another blog post. Someday.