The Gift of a Bird’s Nest.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without words,
And never stops at all.
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Emily Dickinson

Hope.

I’ve written about hope many times.
It springs eternal.
It lives in the soul and mind.
Hope sometimes seems a bit far away.
But if you tap into the music of your soul, it will march into the fray.

It will march in some circumstances like that of a small bird.
Small taps, small flutters, small chirps on the wing of the bird.
Other times hope marches in like a lion, roaring and making big waves.

In both circumstances, hope will make a way.
It is stored inside you, it may take a little time.
But if you keep searching, it will come in its good time.
Tap into that hope, that prayer, and reverie.

Make that hope like the stubborn bird that makes its little nest.
It may look little but it can withstand the test.
The test of rain, wind, bitter cold, and heat.
Make that nest of hope inside you, draw from its strong nest.

Our Hope is Certain

The Bird of Hope
Daniel King

When you find it, hold on to it.
You can withstand this test.
Things may look bleak, you may not know what to do.
But dear reader, hope can show you the path and fly you to a better place.

Build that nest of hope.
Let it be an anchor to your soul.
When you need it, that hope will be there.
To guide your precious soul.

Many meditations have been written about hope.

Recently Emily Dickinson’s poem spoke to me because I had never pondered the concept of hope being much like a bird. During the time when we spent a lot of time in our home (during the world wide bug),we decided we wanted to feed the birds. We bought a big bag of bird seed and set it out on the back porch. It was amazing that such a small change in life could bring such joy. The simple act of bird watching.

https://dioceseofraleigh.org/news/challenge-easter-joy

Each morning as we rose we heard the bird song that greeted each and every day. Before daylight had touched our eyes the birds were flying to our back porch to partake of our bird seed. They had no idea just how much their daily habits gave us hope. Why? Well, first the colors of the birds and the variety. We counted as many as 15 different varieties and colors of birds that came each morning to feast. They sang, brought their little birds and then took a moment to bathe in our bird bath. There was a pigeon couple that came daily to partake. It was a picture of hope and simple daily joy.

“Every day is a renewal, every morning the daily miracle. This joy you feel is life.” — Gertrude Stein

Of course, the squirrels and chipmunks came to feast as well. One day, a giant hawk came and perched himself on the porch to see if he could partake of a meal. The squirrels and chipmunks scampered off but the birds remained close by. They knew the danger was fleeting and they knew they could come back. As we watched these birds, they taught us that in the rain, storms, punishing wind, bitter cold, soul-sucking heat and in between the birds were always there. They were faithful no matter what the circumstance. That is hope. Hope is discipline. Hope is showing up even when it is hard. Hope is pulling from that wellspring, that nest that is within you to keep going.

https://www.today.com/life/quotes/easter-quotes-rcna20620

How does this little musing relate to Easter?

How does this little musing relate to Easter? Through daily hope, joy, faith, and a dedication to see the good in even little things, we are channeling a daily Easter if you will. Yesterday I realized that I am not a particularly cheerful person or a morning person for that matter. Lots of folks could probably agree with that sentiment.  There are times when it is all I can do to set one foot in front of the other. In life I have encountered maybe two or three chipper people. The theme of the poem by Emily Dickinson and myself is a lesson for all of us. Hope, Joy, Faith, all of the character traits that Jesus had are possible for us to experience because of his sacrifice on the cross. Also, Jesus did leave us the promise of the Holy Spirit to give us hope. It doesn’t have to be momentous. The activity could be as small as making that all-important cup of coffee each morning. I leave you all with this wonderful quote.

“Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” Rabindranath Tagore