Thursday, March 11, 2021

Dear God,

This morning I recognized the sound of the bird call although I have no idea the species of bird or its image.  It was my spirit that responded to its call.

I first heard that bird over sixty years ago at my grandmother's rural farm.  I loved the sound to be heard early in the morning.  What that meant was I was staying overnight at Grandma's house.  Sleeping in an upstairs bedroom in the old, farm log home, I awoke in a Jenny Lind bed piled high with hand made quilts because there was no heat upstairs.  The sound of the bird, the warmth of the bed and the smell of bacon cooking in the downstairs kitchen brought a sense of profound love to me as a child.  I loved the farm.  I loved my grandmother.  I loved her home.  

It has been more than 20 years since I have been to the farm since sold to strangers.  Yet, this morning's birdcall took me right back there, to that bed, to my grandmother and to faith.  

It was there on the farm where I learned about you, O God.  My grandmother was the epitome of Christian faith and love.  Filled with compassion she fed lots of town folk from her truck patch garden in the community of 500 people.  She read to the blind woman in town.  She taught Sunday School, played the organ and piano for her church for free for over 60 years and she spread her love everywhere she went.  I was not only touched and embraced by her love and faith, I was engulfed in it.  I felt so loved.

Grandma brought me to you, Loving God, and the lovely birdcall this morning gave me cause to pause and celebrate.  

Thank you

for the gift

of my grandmother.

Thank you

for her generosity,

love and faith.

Thank you

for allowing me

to learn

from her.

Thank you too

for the

wonderful bird

that brought her

back to me

this morning.

Love, Andrea