Shortly after noon this past Friday, while sitting in traffic, waiting for a light to change so that I could head home after being disconnected from a call, a little bird came and sat on my car.  It wasn’t until Sunday morning that I grasped the full understanding of the timing of that experience.  The thing I focused on immediately was the evidence of Springtime being just around the corner.  But there’s always something about early Sunday morning-remembering that soon we will celebrate that “great getting up morning!”

I got curious what type of bird is this?  Where is he coming from? Where is he going?  More personally, of all the cars he could’ve landed on, why did he choose mine? Was it the deep redness of my car or perhaps even the new wine color of my hair? I decided to do a little research and this is what I found out.

Birds will usually travel to a climate where it is much warmer. When birds do this it is called “migration”. Most birds will migrate to warmer climates,  while birds who don’t migrate, stay in the climate where they already are. While migrating, birds will usually stay in a flock. The birds who stay (don’t migrate) will search for the food they can find in the habitat.

Wow!! It was obvious this bird was not with a flock and perhaps he was in search of something that he couldn’t find in his habitat and so he found me.  Unfortunately there were barriers that kept us from really connecting but how I loved having him right there with me. Of course, when it was time for me to move, he hung on for a moment and then he flew away.  And while the curiosity of him being there may be with me forever, reality is he must move too.

With the anniversary of my birth surrounded by the anniversary of so much death (primarily relating to meaningful relationships), I write today with a mixed array of emotions. There is an impending joy of future things I don’t yet know while there is a sadness for that which I must let go-fully, completely and totally surrendering my will to God’s. Letting go sometimes feels like taking on more weight but I must trust that by staying in God’s will to do the right thing in all situations, He is there to help me carry the load remaining.  Sting’s song-“If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free” is a conversation with me and God that reads like this:

(Jesus speaking) If you need somebody, call my name
If you want someone, you can do the same
(My Feelings)       If you want to keep something precious
You got to lock it up and throw away the key
(Jesus speaking)     If you want to hold onto your possession
Don’t even think about me

(Jesus speaking)   If it’s a mirror you want, just look into my eyes

Or a whipping boy, someone to despise

(My view)                Or a prisoner in the dark
Tied up in chains you just can’t see
Or a beast in a gilded cage
That’s all some people ever want to be