The devotional below especially captures my heart. I have two birds. A almost 1 year old rambunctious male parakeet, Boobutt and a 22 year old male cockatiel, Zeb.
My parakeet's cage is in my room. I can spend hours upon hours watching him entertain himself and me with the brightly colored toys in his cage. He gleefully chirps. Becomes so very excited and sways from his swing, jumps down, does flips, pulls the colorful beads with his beak and foot, jumps up and rings the brightly green bell over and over and over again. Wearing it on top of his head when he rings it. (That is so cute I must say) His antics go on for hours. Makes watching television difficult at times. He has become a master now at mimicking the bell sound. So much so I cannot tell if it is him or the bell that is actually ringing.
Boobutt is so free! Sometimes I get emotional and jealous over how free he is. I want that freedom! Not a thing bothers him. In his bird head he is confident that someone will always feed him. Constantly enjoying his life. Carefree. Full of fun and song. My heart aches for such independence! My heart aches to return to such freedom as a child before things began to change for the worse.
The devotional asks us to be just as free. By seeing what our song can change today in our lives or in others? Possibly adding laughter and playfulness where there is sadness. Even if for a brief moment.
If your heart catches in your throat, ask a bird how she sings.—Cooper Edens
The idea of your heart getting caught in your throat and then asking a bird how she sings may seem silly. It is, but being silly is sometimes exactly what we need. Instead of always trying to figure out the lumps in our throats, we can learn how to sing with them.
Birds sing all day. Their songs are lighthearted and playful. And they bring us color along with their songs. We have all stopped to notice a special bird outside the window. A bird song can be a lullaby. It can be laughter. We need these things in our lives, too. By playing and laughing, we change the lumps in our throats to songs.
What sadness can I turn into song today?
Hazelden Foundation
JBR, this post is simply beautiful! I believe God wants us to be like the birds mentioned in the devotional and your own funny bird too.:) That must be how He longs to see us...carefree, confident, joyful, strong...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these really lovely thoughts today!
beautiful post... I sing past the sadness by knowing that I have already sat with that sadness. We have held hands. We have danced under a low moon. We have whispered and I have cried. And now it is time to stand again and sing. That is how I sing past the sadness :)You open your mouth and even if nothing comes out you will have made a start.
ReplyDeleteOH JBR WHAT A CUTE PICTURE. IS THAT YOUR BIRD? THE STORY OF FREEDOM IS A PRICELESS ONE. THANKYOU FOR SHARING IT TODAY. I CAN USE IT.
ReplyDeleteJBR, I can really relate to the longing for the freedom and confidence that your pet bird enjoys. He sounds delightful!
ReplyDeleteJBR a true corelation of freedom. A birds trust in the Heavenly Father who entrusts you to take care and feed him. Enjoyed reading this post and hopefully will remember to apply the words today. God Bless.
ReplyDeleteBoobutt sounds like a darling - love the bell hat trick and the imitating the sound!!! Parakeets are ornery...my Beezle and BeBe keep me entertained for hours. Animals are blessed with trusting souls and bless us by letting us have them in our lives. Hang in there!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful post today. I love to watch the birds outside singing. I loved hearing about your birds and how entertaining they are.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't you love to be able to fly just over the tree tops?
I can totally relate to this post! Firstly, I used to have three parakeets (two at once, and then one by himself), and I know they are good pets. Secondly, whenever I see my puppy I always think of how happy she is and how she has everything in her life that she needs. Even though she's almost 5 years old, I still call her my puppy because, as you said, they are childlike, and I too wish I could go back to being a child.
ReplyDeleteAnd aren't animals the best? I bet you Boobutt and Zeb adore you. That's what animals do-- they love. And it's the absolute greatest feeling ever, if you ask me!
Wishing you well,
NOS
What a beautiful story. I started to cry. I'm touched deeply.
ReplyDeleteI alaughed at thies post. Your birds sounds vvery funny and cute and brings you happiness.
ReplyDeleteI can so so SO relate!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love this quote
...and when my heart catches in my throat,
I will ask:)
And Love Himself asked us to consider the birds
and the lilies.
Carefree and unworried about the future.
Thanks for this post, JBR.
Lifted me up.
Love,
Jen
thank you for continuing to write. i am in need of healing....many months of healing past and to come. i will be back to read soon.
ReplyDeleteit's a wonderful post JBR and I think that you have your teacher right there ... and that you can try to be like him even though I'm well aware of that it's not always easy. But when such a times comes (the hard one) maybe you can just sit with your beautiful bird and watch him and let yourself become him, his freedom ... sending love your way.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. I have never thought about a bird in that way. I had a lovebird named Kiwi for 13 years. She was a pleasure to watch too.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to say that you didn't win my giveaway but I thought about you when I picked the gift. I haven't posted it yet because it's a surprise for the woman who won and I haven't mailed it yet. I am giving her the Willow Tree Happiness piece. It is my favorite and that is what I purchased for my 2 year blogiversary giveaway. Hope you have a beautiful week.
Thank you so very, very much JBR for sharing this post with me!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the picture of your bird and read what you wrote, I told my wife let's go out and get those two parakeets that you have been wanting to get so bad.
We just love the two birds that we bought!!! They bring us much joy!!!
Your welcome to stop by my blog to have a look.
Blessings,
Lon