Bird! Bird! | Saturday SOULfood

Happy Saturday, Friend—

I can't get enough of guest contributor Danny Barnhill's writing. His words draw me in and invite me to dwell in God's goodness. May today's SOULfood remind you to notice the small gifts God gives you each and every day. -Sarah Koontz

I love experiencing the world through the eyes of a child. Everything is vibrant and exciting. And, for a moment, I get to be a kid again.

When toddlers reach the magical age of two, things change. They discover more parts of the world and ways of expressing themselves that moms and dads never knew existed.

Some parents call this time the “terrible twos.” But, in many ways, it’s the “terrific twos.”

My grandnephew, Maddix, is embracing his “terrific twos” now.

Recently, my wife and I took Maddix to town. On the way home, the radio blasted our favorite Christian songs, and we all clapped and sang along.

My wife turned the radio off.

“Maddix,” she asked, “Can you sing ‘Jesus Loves Me?’” My wife gave me a wink.

Maddix and I dived into his favorite duet.

We were applauding ourselves for a wonderful rendition of the famous old hymn when I heard an ear-piercing screech—a double shriek.

“Bud! Bud!” His pronunciation wasn’t perfect, but his joyous exclamation was clear.

While cruising down the road, clapping, and enjoying our sing-along, Maddix had spotted a bird. Maybe two. Or a flock.

I’m not sure—I didn’t see the birds—but he did.

We were in the same truck, on the same road, and enjoying the same events, yet I saw no bird. But this terrific 2-year-old did—and excitedly shared what he saw.
Why is that?

Children his age seem to notice everything. And every little discovery is thrilling.

The smallest things bring the broadest smiles.

Their laughter can’t be contained—they don’t even try. They live out loud.

I wonder how much happier adults would be if we looked at our Father’s world through the eyes of a child.

Those who crawl into the Father’s loving arms and kiss Him on the cheek are the ones who really “get it.” They enjoy what our Father intended—the exciting world around them and being with Him.

May we never become blind to the beauty of a sunrise. Or forget the joy of a butterfly landing in our palm.

May we watch squirrels race in the tree branches with wonder.

May our knowledge never become so vast and our intellect so superior we aren’t amazed to see a hummingbird sip nectar from a flower.

When we hop out of bed and rush into the worries of this world, thoughts of war, politics, and the future often occupy our minds instead of awe in our Creator.

Perhaps if we pause to watch a mother sparrow feed her young ones early on a spring morning, our views might shift.

We might ask where the sparrow finds food for her young ones. She doesn’t have a garden or shop at the supermarket. She has no pantry stocked with goods for tomorrow, next week, or the following month.

Yet, the sparrow is never hungry. An ample food supply for her and her babies exists.

Jesus spoke about how God supplies the needs of sparrows.

As birds zip around carrying a tiny morsel of daily bread, God is proven faithful. They draw on His promised bounty day after day.

Jesus mentioned you and me, too.

Jesus said we’re more valuable than sparrows (Mt 10:31). And, like those tiny birds, our Father provides for all of our needs.

When we’re concerned over little things or stressed out over big things, consider how precious we are to our Father.

God has provided for us in the past and will meet our needs tomorrow. We can do as Peter suggested and lay our cares on the Lord because He loves us (1 Pt 5:7).

After we consider God’s goodness and faithfulness, we can go outside and listen for a chirp from a nearby tree.

We can watch our winged teacher zip by us.

May the terrific two inside of each of us come out.

Let’s lift our hands and say, “God, you are so good to me.”

Or we could shout, “Bird! Bird” God will understand.

“Yahweh, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!” - Psalm 8:9 NIV

- Danny Barnhill