Lots of porch pondering today on a glorious day the Lord has made. Ate my bagel and fruit sitting in the swing this morning watching all the handsome little songbirds flitting around the feeders. It’s a pretty morning, heavily overcast in grays and whites and blues. If I look intently at the sky canvas I can see peeks of blue sky. I’m marveling at all the songbirds in my yard. The male purple finches are so handsome now, their plumage a deep raspberry, colored like God dipped his brush in raspberry watercolors and painted their crowns in a deep dark pink, letting the paint pale and rundown their back and breasts. The female finches, beautiful in a subdued plumage, shop at the same store as the female cardinals, dressing in brown and tan with white eyebrows and black lines down their throats.

I’m so enthralled with the finches. Their undulating flight patterns around the yard are so pretty. But oh my goodness, they quarrel and argue with each other all day long fighting over the perches on their favorite feeders, always making their presence known. I have numerous feeders around my yard but those little finches only like to eat from three of them, cleaning those feeders of seeds on every visit to my yard. I think the flock of cardinals are glad to see the finches leave the feeders late afternoon so they can enjoy eating in peace in the quiet of the day’s twilight.

Been reading bird quotes this afternoon. I know I’ve written on them before but their literary beauty is worth sharing again. I always go back to this quote, one of my most favorite bird quotes, by Rabindranath Tagore. “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” In my mind I can see the birds waking, warming their feathers in the glorious colors of sunrise, opening their beaks in melodious songs of thanksgiving for another day’s dawning. In this quote Tagore is speaking of the power of our faith, the hope and trust of God’s light coming back into our world as we experience darkness. When we have circumstances we can’t control, we are reassured by our faith and our trust in God. Faith inspires us to be optimistic and persevere through the time of uncertainty. Just as the birds feel the approaching dawn, our faith allows us to feel hope as a new day dawns. Even when the day seems dire, our faith can lift us up and give us guidance. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Langston Hughes wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” We all need dreams to chase to fulfill our lives. Without direction in life, we’re like a bird that cannot fly. So sad to see a crippled bird knowing essentially their life is over when they can’t soar the heavens. We’re like a broken-winged bird when our life is lived without faith, without purpose, our potential never reached. God has given us all special gifts we need to cultivate and share, using our gifts to make the world a better place for us and for others. In 1 Peter 4:10 we read, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

This is another one of my favorite quotes. “Birds chirping around you is a beautiful realization that life is incredibly good. Let this sound be a gentle break in your routine,” Hiral Nagda. I see the tiny songbirds as gifts from God, giving me hope and cheer, soothing my soul when it’s troubled. The songbird symphonies connect me to God’s natural world and give me a sense of peace. Bible scripture says God created the birds to fill the skies and bring beauty to the world. The birds’ chirping reminds me of the loveliness and goodness of life. Just as the Bible says God cares for the littlest of the birds, they also remind us to trust in God and his provision. The little songbirds rely completely on God to provide for them.

This Charlie Wardle quote reminds us of how powerful our faith can be if we truly believe in God and his grace. “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on her own wings.” God can take our fears and our burdens away. We put our trust in his hands, our burdens on his shoulders, and he gives us comfort and the peace to rest. In John 14:27 we read, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Just as the bird has unwavering faith in its wings, our unwavering faith in God gives us the power to believe in our own abilities. We need to learn to lift our spiritual wings with faith and love and fly through life empowered by God’s grace.

Jesus told his followers in the scriptures to “look at the birds of the air” reminding us that if God feeds the birds he will surely care for us.

“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” — William Blake