“She flies like a bird in the sky–ay-ay” (Honeybus)

We considered a couple of days ago birdsong. Birds are always cheerfully singing. They are not put off by bad moods or setbacks or whatever.

I was reading how they model various desirable qualities apart from their cheerfulness. Like the way they persist in nest building, using materials from wherever they can be obtained, and will always try again if one nest is destroyed. So: energy, determination, persistence.

Fledglings at some point have to leave the nest. To start with they will often try flying from branch to branch. Practising for the big takeoff. And when that happens it is a sort of act of faith. OK, they have practised a bit, but flight is the real thing! So: have faith, have trust, and a few baby hops around the branches helps. After I had learned to swim years ago I thought it was time I tried diving – off the highest diving board! That was a very foolish leap of faith. Learn to dive from the side of the pool first!

How do birds navigate – in some cases many thousands of miles? Well, apparently this is only partly understood by the scientists, but it is thought to involve 3 elements: known landmarks, the earth’s magnetic field, the position of the sun and moon and stars. These 3 elements are drawn upon in combination, or separately, as needed. So, what about OUR journeys in life? What about THE journey of life? Well, don’t just depend on one source of information. OK, I know we say Jesus is our single guide, but we don’t mean by that, that we don’t use our brains, that we don’t look to others for advice and support, that we don’t use the advice of doctors, etc.

Think how unreliable a single source of information can be. Your favourite newspaper? What you thought you saw? What you thought you heard? What Dr Google told you?

Last point. Jesus said: “ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

So...Don’t worry! Have faith! Learn to “fly like a bird in the sky-ay-ay”.