What the birds taught me

I have been having a very, very, rough past few days. Not only has there been sickness in my house, but my husband, who is a pastor is facing the toughest battle he's ever faced with a church since he began in ministry. It's rough.....very rough.....I have to go find Sissy's post about the Ballast in the midst of the storm. (click here)

The Lord throughout my life has used special things to encourage me....this time just a couple weeks ago he used birds. I'm only now realizing the full meaning of the event.

It was a rainy Friday a couple of weeks ago. Where I live the birds have already begun their flight south for the winter. Now I admit I'm not a bird watcher or even a bird expert, but as the event unfolded, I sensed in my spirit it was from God. As I was growing up and facing hard times, I would look for a red cardinal, for encouragement. In my childish mind, it became a symbol of God's presence. At the deepest, darkest, loneliest times in my life, God would allow me to see a red cardinal. Then a blue jay would become a symbol of God's promises, to me. Each time I saw a blue jay I would be reminded of God's faithfulness to keeping His promises.

That Friday,a couple of weeks ago, a weather front was coming through. We were on the edge of a thunderstorm cell. The rain became heavy, and the wind picked up. As I was eating lunch, I heard a noise. I moved the curtains and looked out the window. There in the tree right outside my kitchen window was a blue jay, then two, then three, then four then FIVE blue jays, finding shelter from the rain in the tree that had nearly lost all its leaves. I had never seen FIVE blue jays all at once. Remembering my symbolism of the bird, I thought to myself, "the Lord must really be trying to say something to me, to send 5 blue jays!!" Then a red cardinal appeared, then another, and its mate, and I thought I glimpsed a third red cardinal. WOW!! I was in total amazement. I turned and adjusted my seat to watch the drama outside. I was convinced that this rare event all these birds in one tree, outside my own window was truly from the Lord.
Eventually as the rain cleared they flew away, and I finished my lunch.
I later picked up my "Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book" a Bible promise book. I began to read promise after promise from the Bible.
As the days went by and especially today as the 'war' at church seems to be heating up....I'm reminded of truly God's faithfulness to His promises in the midst of storms, and His presence alongside of us, despite the problems.

God used those birds to teach and prepare me for this storm in my life.