Was searching for bird quotes today and came across this quote by P.D. James. “God gives every bird his worm but he doesn’t throw it in the nest!” That is the best! You can take it at face value or dissect it and dig deeper to find the message. God provides the worm, the opportunities and resources, but we have to have diligence in our faith to secure that worm. You wait for God to throw a worm your way you’ve got a long wait. God provides for our needs but we need to have the initiative to do the work and the faith to secure it. Some people work so hard for that worm. Some just give up and settle. Others wait all their lives for someone to give them their worm. We all have potential and deserve our “worm” but we have to hunker down, make a plan, and dedicate ourselves to be successful. Nobody said life was easy but God walks beside us every step we take.

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.― Willie Nelson

Mehmet Murat Ildan writes, “Wherever there are birds, there is hope.” The presence of songbirds brings me sense of hope and soothes my soul. The songbirds’ freedom, their glorious symphonies, and their colorful migrations through my yard as the seasons change bring optimism for the coming days. As long as the little songbirds persist in nature hope remains. I moved to Roanoke, back to the home I grew up in, three months after my husband, Chief, died. I sat in the front porch swing every day immersed in a sea of grief. As I watched the songbirds, specially the crimson male cardinals, I began to feel hopeful of finding happiness and contentment in my widowhood knowing I’d be reunited with Chief in heaven. I’ve always thought Chief sends the handsome cardinals from heaven to cheer me. Five years have passed and I’m still sitting in the porch swing. Some days I still sit in grief but I know my faith in a loving, understanding God will bring the sunshine to my dark days through the little songbirds.

I love these words of Rabindranath Tagore. “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark. In effect, the people who change our lives the most begin to sing to us while we are still in darkness. If we listen to their song, we will see the dawning of a new part of ourselves.” His words remind us that even on our darkest days we can find the Lord’s holy light to guide us to a new dawn of faith. There is always hope in the new day.

We all know the morning light comes after the darkness of night and spring comes after winter. Sunsets tell us that endings can be beautiful, too. “When you see birds flying from the sunset towards you, you will find it hard to convince yourself that they are not angels from heaven!” Mehmet Murat Ildan. Life comes and life goes. I think maybe the world should take a break from technology and sit on a big front porch and watch God’s songbirds. Nature can melt stress away, bring peace to your mind, give you hope for tomorrow, and remind you of a loving God.

Langston Hughes wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” Without dreams our life lacks purpose and meaning. I think we have to live day to day. We can’t worry about the past or be anxious about tomorrow. Sometimes we just have to accept life as it is and go with the flow and given enough time, with God’s help, we can accept the outcome. We put our lives in God’s hands and travel the path he’s created. Course there will be storms and headaches and heartaches but those are the moments that make us cherish the happy days in the sunshine of God’s love. We need to be present each day and live it fully.

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes