Look At The Birds
This week has been a bit of a rough one for me. I struggled with feeling mentally and physically drained. From school responsibilities, to my health, to everything else in my life, I just felt tired, and honestly, it was very hard to keep the right perspective. Walking through this week, I've learned that when things become difficult, it’s very easy to believe that God doesn’t care. It’s very easy to believe that He isn’t really concerned about what you’re stressed out about or what worries you. Most times, we think this way because we believe that if God really cared, then we wouldn’t be hurting or stressed out in the first place. So, we ask ourselves, “If God really cared, why is nothing changing?” or “Why are things still so hard?” These are questions that I grapple with, some days more than others. When life doesn’t make sense and the problem isn’t becoming easier, I sometimes ask God, “Do you really care?” Have you ever gotten to that point? The point where you’ve been so hurt or frustrated that you’ve doubted God?
Recently, I’ve been there, and I desperately tried to keep the right perspective; but, it was really hard. Nothing made sense, and I could feel myself slowly losing the momentum to keep persevering. I found myself constantly crying out to God for help. The help to keep moving forward in faith and believe that He actually cared about everything that I was facing. A few days ago, I was completely overwhelmed, and I felt like I needed to get some fresh air, so I decided to go outside for a walk. After walking, I sat down and just stared up at the sky as the tears streamed down my face. I felt like there was nothing more that I could say to God at that point. It was as if I had been repeating the same thing over and over for days on end and nothing was changing. In that moment of frustration, I noticed a bird perched on a branch, and then I saw another one. I just stared at them. There was nothing going through my mind. I was just watching the birds do what birds did. However, the longer I sat and watched them, I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of Matthew 6:26 (NIV), where it says, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
As I watched the birds, I felt God reminding me that if He cared about them, why wouldn’t He care about me and what it is that I was going through? If the birds were valuable in God’s eyes, how much more would I be valuable to Him? The longer I sat there, meditating on that verse and looking at the birds, the more peace I felt in my heart. I felt like I could breathe easy again for the first time in days. After that revelation, my circumstances didn’t magically change. My problems didn't fly away with the birds, but my fear and discouragement did. I found peace in knowing that God cared. I felt assured that even though things were still difficult, God had not left me alone to fend for myself; He is with me and He cares for me. The same is true for you today. I pray that if you’re tired, disappointed, discouraged, frustrated, or even apathetic to the difficulties in your life right now, you will find peace in knowing that God cares. Yes, life may be tough right now; yes, it is not always easy to understand, but find rest in the truth that your Heavenly Father cares for you. Let that give you the assurance you need to find joy even in the midst of your trial.
If you find it hard to believe the truth that God cares, let the birds be a reminder, as they were for me.