I realize this is a cardinal…I couldn’t quite capture the goldfinch, so I figured any backyard bird was better than no bird!
“So have you seen the goldfinches?” she asks, as I hand her the plastic bucket to be filled with birdseed. Nope, I tell her, no goldfinches. Cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, chickadees, nuthatches. But no goldfinches. “I’m surprised,” she says, as I pay her for the seed. “They’re pretty common at backyard feeders this time of year. Keep your eye open for them. You’ll see them.”
Three days later, on Sunday, I sit in the sunroom. I’ve finished my Bible reading, and now, I’m simply staring out the window at the river birch tree in the backyard. And that’s when I notice the two tiny birds perched high in the branches, a hint of greenish-gold on their breasts. They’re not the brilliant yellow I expect, but the birdseed lady had warned me that they tend to brown up during the winter. I’ve spotted two goldfinches.
“How willingly we sacrifice the days of our lives to trivial distractions – silly computer games, unnecessary errands, useless worry,” writes Katrina Kenison in her new book, Magical Journey. “We get caught up in our petty concerns and miss the beauty unfolding right in front of us; rushing headlong into the next thing, we fail to appreciate the blessing of the only thing we can really claim as ours to own, the present moment.”
You know I’ve struggled with this new practice of honoring the Sabbath. I’ve argued with my kids over Monopoly, paced the house restless, haven’t quite known what to do with myself for much of the time. But this, the moment I spot the two goldfinches, is the reason why I persist.
I waste a lot of time on the computer in my everyday life. I run unnecessary errands. I fret over situations that are out of my control. But on Sundays, I break from those routines and habits. And even though my Sabbaths aren’t perfect, I always find at least a moment of rest, a moment when I put aside my petty concerns and catch the beauty unfolding, right before my eyes.
The goldfinches are there, beauty in my own backyard. I simply had to stop long enough to notice them.
What are you noticing in your stopping these days? {And have you read Katrina Kenison’s new book? It’s really quite lovely}
You know I love this, right? So glad you are on the journey with me friend.
I enjoyed your Sabbath email this morning, lovely lady. This is all so good. So very good. I LOVE journeying through this with you!
Miss Michelle –
I’m noticing, in my stopping, that the couch is soft. 😉 The other day as I sat on it, I realized it was the first time in a week that I had sat down in the living room!
And no, I haven’t read the book you mention…
Blessings.
A week?! Oh my or my, you must rest more often than once a week, my friend! But I know what you mean. Just this morning, I was eyeing the clock, wondering if I had enough time to vacuum the first floor before bringing the kids to school. I am always trying to squeeze in one more task. {I skipped the vacuuming, though, and finished my coffee in the wing chair instead!}
{Super excited about your book, by the way – LOVE the title!!}
Still. Watching the birds. Works for me.
We’ve had a hawk hanging around. I’m pretty sure I scared him off the birdbath because all I saw was him fly to the tree when I moved suddenly. I had my eyes on the computer instead of the window, so I missed what he was doing. I managed to snap a shot just as he prepared to lift off…
Eyes on the computer. Yup, that’s me. It’s so hard to break away sometimes, isn’t it?
Hi Michelle…Love this! Excellent!
My ‘stopping’ lately has involved music. For a few years now, I’ve had an unreliable c.d. player on my kitchen counter. Hence, I could not enjoy the many c.d.’s I keep there. My darling husband bought me a new c.d. player for Christmas. Now, every day I can play some sweet tunes while I go about my kitchen chores. Every so often, I just stop, lean into my counter, and truly enjoy the lyrics and the music. It’s the pause that refreshes me. Sometimes I even dance!
(I have not heard of the book you mention. Sounds like one I’m going to have to check out! Thanks, Michelle!)
Jillie, how wonderful! Music has the power to stop me in my tracks, too. And what a sweet husband you have!
I taught several classes on Sabbath and read a number of books. Here are two other books you’d enjoy,”The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath,” by Mark Buchanan, and “Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting,” by Marva Dawn. Believe me Michelle keeping Sabbath is so WORTH IT. We’ve been doing it for about 4 years now. I love Sabbath and look forward to it.
Thank you for the book suggestions, Mary Ellen. I have read “The Rest of God” and love it – I own that one, in fact. But I will have to get my hands on a copy of “Keeping the Sabbath Wholly” — I’ve seen that title here and there for a while now. Thank you!!
You are welcome. Both of those books helped me to let go of rigid rules and just relax and enjoy God, my family, and life. Shabbat Shalom
One of my favorite things to do is sit out on our deck and watch the birds at our feeder. I try to take those moments throughout the day, every day, to just sit back and notice the beauty all around me. Beautiful post and reminder, Michelle! Blessings!
I’ve gotta say, birds are a big part of my Sabbath these days!
Happy weekend to you, Martha… xxoo
This is beautifully written, Michelle, and I think it is not just that you took time to notice, but that you had eyes to see. Anybody can stop running and slow down, yet still walk (or sit) through life catatonically in a blindfolded daze. You paused, but you were *looking.* You had your eyes peeled for goldfinches, and what a gift you received. I am asking God to open my eyes to recognize Him in my days and in my daze. I am asking Him to sharpen my vision when I run and when I rest, to see Him in all His glory, to know that He is present and at work in my life. Sabbath is important, and when we slow, and are really in a postion to see the Lord, if we’ll but open our eyes. But eventually we’ll need to pick up the pace, and I want to see Him, then, too. I”m so glad that God gifted you with gold finches in a golden moment of rest. What a feast for your eyes. What a gift for your heart.
God bless you.
Lynn
Michelle,
” I simply had to stop long enough to…” everytime I surrender to stillness, I am blessed. Thank you for the reminder that the blessings are always there, even when our attention may not be…
May God continue to bless you with quiet, still moments. I am inspired and encouraged.
Peace and good to you.
As I’ve been studying the book of Genesis in my bible study, I keep coming back to God’s promise to Abraham that he will have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. That’s how I feel about my blessings — too many to name, and unfortunately, I don’t take the time to list them, count them, or even recognize them.
Thanks for that word.