Birds above the storm

Birds Above the Storm

This morning’s message at church was about grace—learning to accept ourselves and trust God’s work in our lives.

I didn’t realize how much I would be thinking about that lesson throughout the day.

The first sign came in the sky.

Twice I spotted a large bird soaring overhead, perhaps a hawk or perhaps an eagle. It circled effortlessly in the blue sky as if it could see a much bigger picture than the one I was focused on below.

Meanwhile, I was carrying my own Ten of Wands kind of day.

There was website work to finish, emails to write, responsibilities to manage, and family relationships to navigate. By afternoon, I found myself caught between productivity and frustration, inspiration and exhaustion.

Then came the walk.

Arson and I headed out beneath darkening clouds. Along the way he discovered rabbits, squirrels, scents, and adventures. He found wonder in every corner while I was busy trying to predict the weather.

Soon enough, the rain came.

What began as a sprinkle became a downpour. We were soaked from head to toe. Yet we kept walking.

As I think back on it now, I realize life often works that way. We carry our burdens. We try to control the path ahead. Then the storm arrives anyway.

Yet somehow we keep moving.

The rabbits were still there after the rain.

The birds had already shown me the bigger view.

And the lesson from church remained the same: grace isn’t something we earn after a perfect day. Grace is what carries us through an imperfect one.

Maybe that was the message hidden in the soaring bird, the unexpected storm, and the muddy walk home.

Keep building.

Keep growing.

Keep walking.

And don’t forget to look up once in a while.