Birds in spring are a sign of hope

“Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life worrying about it.”

– Matthew 6:26,27 (NCV)

To me there’s nothing like the signs of pre-spring. The bright sunshine warms and cheers your weary, worn body and soul.

Each year a friend of mine and I compete to see who sees the first robin. A supposed sign of spring.

I haven’t seen one yet, but my sister mentioned she noticed one of the orange-red breasted birds in her yard.

For several decades, I’ve enjoyed listening to the birds sing their springtime tunes and watching the variety of birds take flight. My favorite is the red cardinal with its beautiful song. I may not have seen a robin yet, but I noticed a colorful cardinal swoop across my backyard.

One of my first columns was about the gift of binoculars given to me. During a time of being housebound with an illness, the gift brought me great joy and heightened my love for watching the birds.

I mentioned how I saw a red-headed woodpecker with its black-and-white tuxedo. And one year I noticed a bird nest with three eggs that hatched into baby birds. I watched the nest until all the birds were gone.

I enjoy sitting at my kitchen table looking out the window at the sunshine and the birds. Even on some of the coldest days, these things warm my heart.

God refers to this enduring part of his creation many places in the Scriptures.

One of my favorite verses is how we are not to worry because we can see how wonderful he has dressed and fed the birds. Even the tiniest sparrow he holds in his hand. And he is more mindful of us than the birds. I find this passage comforting when the economy is threatened and the world is in chaotic times. Just thinking about these beautiful birds can bring a comfort knowing God is in charge of our lives, even when we feel he is silent.

I often recall, when I was housebound and my life was in chaos, I found comfort in watching the birds.

Today, even if we can’t control our lives or the events of this world, let's enjoy watching how God cares for the birds and learn a lesson from the sights and sounds of spring.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.