Tiny Branches

I hate thunderstorms, they scare me. The loud noise, the uncertainty, the uncontrollable elements…It’s horrible for my OCD. (Yeah we all have it………).

This time however…despite my angst, I was glued to my porch door watching a young thin tree wave back and forth, and within those tiny branches remained a bird’s nest. Four birds, barely two weeks old, nestled together to survive this unpredictable storm going through Scotch Pine. As I stood watching the clouds move in turbulent motion, the winds picked up and big ole’ fat rain down poured which then became Hoosier hail - my hillbilly porch furniture flew against my rickety fence, and well…then my flower pot broke – but I had already killed the plant anyways…

Once the Indiana weather subsided and the earth stood still long enough for me to open my porch door without getting a flying piece of thistle in my eye; sure enough those birds the next morning were sound asleep waiting for their daily worm intake. Far beyond my expectations as Kathryn Hicks checked into: “prepare for the worst state” to see four carcasses on new laid mulch. But….Astonishingly enough…despite my cynicism and faithlessness that I had despite my tiny silent prayer (as I felt embarrassed for praying for birds) for the fate of these four little birds that seemed to have added a bit of joy to my life recently… They survived and are still thriving.

As I hear of loved ones struggling, divorce, loss of their own loved ones, kids suffering torture in other countries…and even that of my own “problems”… My faith was dwindling recently.

God’s presence is here. He may come as a bird, and sometimes he may come as bird poop. But my faith was restored that morning.

I could leave you with “Don’t wait for the storm to pass, dance in the rain” …. But I’m not that cheesy and I’m sure you have enough Target word-sayings hanging over your toilet anyways; and besides you bet your Hanes Her Way that I’m definitely waiting on that storm to pass! I’m not about to go get myself struck by lightening, you never know what message I may need next! 

Love and Be loved, but better, love yourself.