Becoming a Birder

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” —Luke 12:22-26 NIV

God can use anything for good; he never wastes anything. Even a global pandemic. I know a lot of bad things came out of the pandemic, but I have seen evidence that God was still working and still moving in the mess. I sincerely hope that you are able to see evidence of that in your life, too. In a world that was changing and evolving, it was comforting and encouraging to know that God was constant and unchanging. In the words of Moses: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:1-2 NIV). And thankfully, nothing can change that.  

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. —Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

We all have stories of how the pandemic changed us. For me, one of these changes was very unexpected. Being in a full-time ministry position during the pandemic was incredibly challenging. Like many other industries, we had to learn to do nearly everything differently, and most days, that was overwhelming and exhausting. But in the midst of all of it, God extended an invitation to be still, to spend time with him, and be renewed. That invitation came through, you guessed it, birds, and it turned out to be an unexpected gift and blessing during a difficult time. I mentioned in my blog, Remember, that we moved to where we live now the week that the pandemic hit our area. This meant a shift to mostly remote hours, which did not mean less hours, but a change of scenery from the usual work day. The kitchen in this house has a window over the sink and French doors to the back porch by the coffee pot. I would pass by these periodically throughout the day. I think the first bird that caught my eye was a little Carolina wren hopping across the porch. If you’re not familiar with Carolina wrens, I suggest looking them up; they are adorable and tiny, yet bursting with personality. Most mornings, I would hear this wren singing its little heart out. It seemed unfazed by what was going on in the world around it. The Carolina wren’s song is one of my favorites. It’s the most joyful sound. Every time I heard or saw it, my spirits were lifted, and I felt renewed and able to get back to the challenging tasks of the day refreshed.

Then there was the day I looked out the kitchen window, and I saw a whole flock of these black birds with red on their wings. They were everywhere! So I did whatever any new-to-bird-watching person would do; I Googled “black birds with red on their wings.” Do you know what the search result was? RED-WINGED BLACK BIRDS. I laughed. I did not expect such an obvious name. I believe God likes to make us laugh, and he has been gracious to do so in the midst of challenging times. We serve a God who is in the business of restoration and renewal, and inviting me to watch the birds is one way God has done this in my life.

The more I learn about birds and the more I watch them, I realize that bird-watching has taught me a lot about following and spending time with God. I thought I’d share some of those lessons here.

You have to be still.

You will see some birds here and there as you go through your day, but to see more than the ones that happen to fly by, you have to be still. With God, it is often necessary to be still to see and experience him. We want to be active, doing something, hustling to feel like we’re doing our part to “make life happen,” but if we are too busy–physically or mentally–we will miss God, and the birds.

You have to be looking, and oftentimes you have to look up.

Birds are often all around, but if we aren’t looking, we won’t see them. Especially if you are trying to find birds in the trees, you have to be looking. We have a mockingbird that likes to sit at the very top of a Leland Cypress tree by the driveway. If we didn’t look up, we would never see it. There is evidence of God working all around us, all the time, but it’s easy to miss it if we’re not actually looking for it. Just like we can make a habit of looking for birds, we can make a habit of looking for God in our lives. I have seen A LOT more birds since I started actually looking, and I have also become much more aware of what God is doing in my life.

You have to be patient.

Birds aren’t obviously visible all the time. Sometimes you have to wait for them to be revealed. I’ve seen many birds because I waited for them to fly to a more visible spot. If I had given up right away, I wouldn’t have seen them. God is usually at work on something long before we see it with our own eyes. I have seen this in my own life many times. You can read more about an example of this in my blog, Where It All Began? We also see this unfold many times in scripture. Daniel’s story in chapter 10 is one example. In short, God answered Daniel’s prayer 21 days before the angel arrived with the answer. Really, the whole Bible shows us that patience is often required when walking with God.

Sometimes it’s best to just listen.

Did you know that birds carry on conversations with each other? I remember one occasion when I was sitting outside, still and quiet, and I heard a wren call close by, and then another wren answered off in the distance. It may sound silly, but it was a profound experience. I had never been still or quiet long enough to notice that they talk to each other. How many times have I forgotten to listen for God to speak? When I talk to God, do I wait to hear him answer?

Sometimes they are right in front of you and you don’t notice.

Birds have an amazing ability to hide behind leaves and sometimes even bare branches. You might not see them, but they are there. God is often moving right in front of us, and we don’t notice. With birds, if you don’t see anything at first, look again. With God, do the same.

They are there, even if you don’t see them.

Sometimes we hear a bird or see rustling leaves in a tree, but we don’t actually see the bird. And yet, we know that the bird is there. It’s good to remember that God is always there, even when we don’t see him in an obvious way.

The more you listen, the more you recognize their voices.

I now recognize a number of bird songs and calls. The Carolina Wren has the happiest sounding call to me. House Finches sound like best friends having an excited and joyful conversation. The Carolina Chickadee reminds me of part of the theme song for Shaun the Sheep. And the Northern Flicker has a call that reminds me of Jeff Corwin’s impression of otters. Before 2020, I would have categorized all bird sounds as just that, bird sounds. Now, my ears perk up when I hear a bird nearby, and I look for the bird that I know makes that sound. When I’m traveling, and I hear a call I haven’t heard before, I know a new-to-me bird is nearby. This is how I got to see my first Baltimore Oriole. My point is this, after listening and watching the birds, I can recognize the sound and know what type of bird it is, or which bird it isn’t. The more we get to know God and listen to his voice through scripture or the Holy Spirit, the more we recognize God speaking, even in the subtlest ways, and we also begin to recognize which voices aren’t his.

When you see, thank God for it. When you don’t see, thank God for it. 

God made all the birds. Seeing them reminds me of this and everything else God has done. I thank God for the gift of seeing them when I do. And when I don’t see them, I should be thankful for the birds I have seen, and the ones that are yet to come. It’s easy to thank God when we see obvious evidence of his work. We should learn to thank him even when we don’t see it because we can be assured that he is working. God’s divine timing is perfect, and we can be sure that if something hasn’t been revealed yet, it will when the time is right.

“What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” —Matthew 10:29-31 NLT

The scriptures that use bird metaphors hit a little different now. Conservative estimates list the number of bird species in the world as 11,000, but there is new research that there could be as many as 18,000. God made them, and God knows them all. The Bible reminds us how much more valuable we are to God than the birds. God takes care of them, so we can trust him to take care of us. 

Becoming a birder has reminded me time and time again that God is good and that God is faithful. The Pine Warbler in the cover photo of this blog landed on my side mirror on a stressful day as if to echo God’s words in Isaiah 28:12 NLT: “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” It was a gift. It was a reminder that God renews those who hope in him (Isaiah 40:31), and that we can take shelter under his wings (Psalm 36:7 and 91:4). There have been many more times that God sent birds on difficult days as a reminder: ‘I see you. I love you.’

So now, five years after the beginning of the pandemic, I would definitely classify myself as a birder. Bagerland Birding has a video about the difference between a bird-watcher and a birder that I found interesting. 

“Based on discussions with others in the bird community the definitions could be as follows: a bird-watcher is someone who has a fascination for birds and typically views and notices them but does not actively search for them where as a birder is someone who actively seeks out birds.”

Based on these definitions, I am a birder, not just a bird-watcher. I spent a while in nature recently, actively trying to see a Northern Parula, Tennessee Warbler, and Nashville Warbler that my Merlin app picked up. Interestingly, this transformation has also made me more of a “God-er” than just a “God-watcher” as I seek out God more actively. Then invitation to be still and enjoy his creation has opened my eyes to notice more birds and more of God. It’s been life-changing, really. 

What might God be inviting you to today? Could it be birding? Or maybe it’s finding stillness and communion with the Lord in some other way. Pausing to watch the sunrise or sunset. Enjoying the nature around you. Just slowing down. You get the idea. God just wants to spend time with you. God knows what will draw your heart to his.

Will you accept the invitation? I am so thankful I did.