I hope you stayed warm during last week’s sub-zero temperatures. It was negative eight degtrees last Thursday morning. I stayed inside, venturing out only to feed the birds.
Cardinals, blue jays, black-capped chickadees, and tufted titmice wait patiently every morning for me to feed them. I pour black oil sunflower seeds onto a feeding platform my father-in-law rigged up ten years ago. Sometimes they perch in the quince bush in front of my kitchen window to remind me they’re waiting if I’m running behind.
I couldn’t help noticing they were as energetic on those frigid days as they are on sunny summer mornings. This is a marvel. How do they survive? I kept thinking about Jesus encouraging his followers not to worry, saying, “’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.’” (Matthew 6:26 NIV)
It’s amazing how God enables wild birds to meet most of their own needs. One way they survive is by fluffing up their feathers. They look like they’ve gained winter weight, as so many of us do. (Remember: we’re only two months away from the official first day of spring, when we can get outside and walk off those pounds.) But they’ve actually just fluffed up their feathers to conserve body heat.
They also take shelter in my pine tree. And I discovered on birdslueth.org that some birds, such as black-capped chickadees, can actually drop their body temperature to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
People are so much more fragile than birds, aren’t we? If I’d have gone out into the cold last week with my skin exposed, I could’ve gotten frostbite in as few as 15 minutes, according to the warnings on Accuweather.com.
Unlike birds, people need to prepare for storms. We can’t fluff our feathers or drop our body temperatures. We stock up on groceries, make sure we have enough fuel, take extra precautions with livestock, and much more.
Weather apps and channels warn us about blizzards and wind chill, but some storms brew without our knowledge, then slam us and leave us reeling. Illnesses, divorce, job losses, and so many other storms can leave us staggering.
We can do some things on our own, such as seek medical care, go to counseling, and search for work. Professional guidance and support from loved ones and friends help immeasurably. But that’s not enough.
Which brings me back to Matthew 6:26. I left out part of that verse: “’Are you not much more valuable than [birds]?’” Jesus asked the crowd. This is as important a question in 2019 as it was in A.D. 30. I hope you believe you are far more valuable than birds or any other created thing. You are. You have a purpose far more important than birds. God created you to love others and love Him. You were made to love and be loved. And this makes you priceless.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!