Songbirds

by Macy Johnson

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”

(Psalm 28:7 NIV)

 

I watched a video on YouTube about songbirds and discovered they are born lacking feathers or other protection. Both parents are needed to nurture their tiny offspring.

 

I was surprised to learn only male songbirds sing. It is a God-given sign of their dominance and identity. Male chicks babble like human babies until they learn to sing their father’s song, memorize it, and insert their own discriminate nuances. Each son sings a distinct version of his father’s tune. The father and sons are easily identified by their unique songs in a gathering of various and similar birds.

 

It is the same with Christians. We are like songbirds. We learn our Father’s song of perfect love, are connected to Him, and represent Him by the love we share.

 

“You have changed your tune,” reflects a change in opinion or way of doing things. It reminds me that people recognize us by our tunes, in the ways we love others. Our love tells them we belong to and represent our heavenly Father.

 

Oswald Chambers wrote, “At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to hear Him. Songbirds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God’s hand until we learn to hear Him.”

I look forward to choir practice starting back after months in the dark due to COVID-19. All the choral songbirds will thank our heavenly Father, who kept His promise to bring us back together to sing His praises.

 

I will thank my Creator for giving me His love song to sing. I hope you will, too!