Pastor's Penpoint - "A Little Birdie Told Me" - November 2013

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm46:10)

The office I work in at Bridgewater College is a little off the main campus. It is actually in an old house that sits alongside residential neighbors. As I look out my bay window from time to time, I see the neighbor's cars parked right outside. Something caught my eye this week ... a movement around the cars ... and I sat for a full 10 minutes watching what was happening.

A bird was responsible for the action ... but it was the action itself that was so interesting. The bird would fly to the top of the car, and then systematically move from window to window trying to fly in, or at least I first thought. What I realized is the bird was moving from window to window trying to fight its own reflection. It would take on the fight and then it would catch its reflection in the next window ... constantly moving on to the next fight. I don't know if it was frustration, fear or anger that motivated that bird, but this went on the entire time I was watching. I don't know how the fight ended because I was distracted by a phone call.

I've thought about that bird a lot this week. I think its story is important for us - especially as we enter the rush and chaos that is the holiday season. We too, like that bird wear ourselves out and down by fighting our own reflection (or more to the point what the world convinces us our reflection should be). We move from fight to fight with ourselves from one holiday to the next. Self-imposed deadlines and expectations is our enemy - and we see within ourselves something worth fighting ... but the battle is never ending because expectations and deadlines never cease.

Is it frustration, fear or anger that causes us to fight so hard against ourselves? God tells us ... be still and know that I am God. What a simple message - but one wrapped in so much truth and promise. I know it will be hard to not fight our reflection this holiday season - but God still counsels us ... be still ... and know ...
As the holidays gear up let us look into the reflection of our Lord, and in him find peace for our souls.

~ Pastor Todd