I smile as I read the gospel this morning (MT 6:24-34) about how God cares for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air – and, of course, us. I’m thinking two thoughts in relation to the encouragement of that passage as God has a team of helpers at our house.
- Sister Elizabeth loves to watch the birds so we have feeders out – one for those eating “regular” food, one suet cake cage for the woodpeckers whose beaks must be made of iron and one summer addition filled with a sweet concoction for the hummingbirds who are only here for a few months in the summer. This year we have a new phenomenon with that last delight. What is meant to feed only the hummingbirds (who are an amazement to watch) has been discovered by almost all the birds – first the glorious Baltimore orioles, then the wrens and now even the small woodpeckers who may have eaten elsewhere and just come for dessert! How like me they are, preferring a sweet dessert to any other food they can find. Sugar water would certainly be preferable to plain old seeds for me if I were a bird. And since that feeder is attached to the glass door outside the kitchen, there are new diners to enjoy at all hours of the day. We can only wish that a few of them were window washers as well since some are very messy consumers!
- Sister Paula loves creatures of all kinds and delights in watching them frolic or just pass through our yard each day which some do several times in 24 hours, knowing there will always be food from her hands. I am often surprised that some of them can still walk since they are not blessed with the sense of knowing when enough is enough for a meal.
How can I not smile as I see this reflection of God’s abundance and generosity played out daily right here in my own home?
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 