The Goldfinch (05/13/2024)

This weekend, my husband, daughter, and grandson helped me set up my porch for the season (late spring through early fall). We got the four-shelf plant stand out and adorned it with the house plants that love summer temps and sunshine. Then my husband and grandson set up the fountain, so I have that sound constantly of running/splashing water. When I close my eyes, I can almost picture the shore of my favorite place in Door County. And my husband hung the 4-plex wren house and the hummingbird feeder. Finally, they put out the shepherd’s hooks for two hanging plants, one on either side of the bird bath. And I am all set for my favorite activity – watching the creatures the LORD has made and learning from them.

This morning, sure enough, my first visitor arrived, right away. I saw it coming in, that zip and dip flight of the goldfinch. They make me smile every time I watch them fly. They never fly straight; they zip and dip then zip and dip some more. They are by far the most frequent visitors to my bird bath. I get sparrows, chickadees, robins and house finches, but the goldfinches are among my favorites.

As I watched him land and then survey his surroundings, spying me and discerning my intent, I was struck by what the world must be like for one so small. It’s amazing that they make it in this big and often harsh world with storms, predators, and we humans. The goldfinches have taught me that it’s not about size or even ranking on the food chain. It’s about being who/what we are created to be. I take great solace in that as a short, older Irish woman.

We are created by our LORD for a purpose. We are created to know, love and serve our LORD and to love and serve one another. And within that journey, we are to discern the best use of our specific gifts to not only elevate our own offerings but also to encourage others along the way. The goldfinch encourages me in the manner in which it goes about being who he is, who he was created to be. His bright yellow feathers remind me that I not to hide, not to try to blend in. I am to boldly display what the LORD has created me to be and let my presence and work be a source of praise for my creator.

I know it’s just a little bird. But the LORD has a way of getting to us with the simplest of things. The LORD writes straight with crooked lines. This morning, the LORD wrote His straight message to me through the zipping and dipping of a tiny, yellow bird. Isn’t the LORD amazing?

Today, may we all take time to look about us, to take in the other creatures around us, to take in the life that surrounds us. Let us open ourselves to what the LORD is seeking to impart to us about our journeys, about the world He created, through these experiences. Let us open ourselves to the LORD’s calling us to purpose and commitment through life itself.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.