Behind the Curtain

This little wren has brought me much joy . I have known all about him and his coming and going ( literally) and he has just discovered me!!

Bird watching and feeding has been passed down through the women in my family. The enjoyment we get from seeing the amazing color and activity has helped us understand God.  Images of God caring for the birds ("Look at the birds,....your Heavenly Father feeds them Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26)  and images of God covering us and sheltering us with His wings ( Psalm 91:4) has made me watch these little creatures with wonder , realizing I am similar to the birds!

This morning the reality became even more vivid. I had attached a window bird house/box to my home for many years , but this year a wren became interested for the first time. The birdhouse is unique in that I can look out of my window and see INTO the back of the bird's nest.  First , I began seeing a little twig or two in the empty box.  Then I noticed some cotton stuffed into the crevices between the twigs.  More and more twigs and cotton and once in a while I noticed the wren himself , jumping on the twigs and rearranging them with his beak .  In and out of the nest. He was busy building. I was busy watching. But not to scare him, or to steer him away,  the curtain has remained closed.

Only true bird enthusiasts understand not opening the shade all summer long.  Or hardly being able to open the window to let in a cool breeze , in order NOT to frighten the little friend outside the window. Little by little, I would peek from the side of the curtain and watch. His nest got dense and I couldn't see much of him, so yesterday I decided to stand on some furniture to get a look from the top.

There he was! He saw me! He looked my way, startled and hopped to his escape hole, but looked into his nest, past it, through the glass at me again.  Then he hopped to the top and came close to the window and looked at ME with wonder!! I can't describe the moment . He finally saw behind that curtain, which he didn't even know was a curtain. He looked. I was quiet. I slowly withdrew the curtain to its normal spot , and he quietly went back into his nest.

Immediately, I thought " I am that little bird. Busy with the cares of my life, building my life and protecting my home and trying to find shelter from the storms. Yet I am unaware so often of something greater and more powerful than I. A voice and mind and heart is behind my curtain. He knows , He sees, He is watching. He cares , He enjoys me, his creation.  When I discovered He was there,  I wanted to know more about Him and what He was doing on the other side .  And discovering and knowing Him has brought me MUCH joy!!!

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