They come. The Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, Finches.
In a drought-ridden land where the color brown defines much of the landscape, birds flock to my man-made waterfall and birdbaths.
Desperate for water but wary of me, they keep their distance. They don’t know my intentions are good.
Meanwhile, I recline in my patio chair, praying to the God who weaved me in my mother’s womb.
I know His intentions are good. However, without a healthy “fear of the Lord,” I’m prone to act cavalier. Other times demanding.
Lord, could you, would you? And while you’re at it, why don’t you….help, fix, cure, resolve….this and that!
I assume God is listening; that He wants to meet my needs and more.
The same way I enjoy providing Premium Sunflower Seeds for my feathered friends. To my delight, they keep returning even if it’s not for me. No ruffled feathers here.
But I wonder how the Lord feels when my prayer life resembles a Toby Keith song, “I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I, wanna talk about number one.”
Would anyone watching me from a bird’s eye view find me…..
- Returning to God because I need something.
- My prayers filled with petitions instead of praise.
- My intentions purely self-seeking rather than pure.
I cringe to think audacity trumps humility when it comes to my attitude towards……
~A holy God whose grace prevents me from receving what I really deserve.
~A faithful God who loves me even when I keep my distance.
~A patient God who longs for me to return and spend time with Him.
Even in this moment, a Blue Jay perches on the edge of my waterfall. He bends down and fills his beak with the cool water rushing over the moss-covered stones. His head tilts backward as he swallows.
Satisfied, he flies away.
I reach for my water bottle to quench my own thirst because I love the Lord, but I see myself….
Swooping in and out of prayer when I see fit.
And I’m convicted.
Would I pray as often if I could only praise God instead of dictating what I think He needs to do?
How would you answer that question?
Photos: Pixabay
Share this:
Even In This 
Wow, I never thought of the Toby Keith song in relation to prayer. That in itself is an eye opener! The crazy thing is that I would probably be more content if I spent more time in thanksgiving than in asking. Loved your word pictures, Karen, and also the real pix. My husband would love to have a bunch of bird feeders in our yard (and so would I) but unfortunately, so would our cat!
LikeLike
Barb, we’d all be more content if we focused on our blessings. By the way, I have a cat. But the Blue Jays are ferocious in comparison.
LikeLike
Hi Karen, I keep accidentally hitting reply before I check the little box to have replies sent to me so I’m just now seeing your response. That’s interesting that you have a cat! Maybe we should try bird feeders after all.
LikeLike
I’ve seen my cat park herself beneath the bird feeder. She can’t reach the birds who are feeding, but it’s like she’s claiming her space. ha
LikeLike