Friday, November 22 2024 - 3:50 PM
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Bird Ballet

Today was like any other typical day going to work. The usual traffic slowly moved down the freeway. Gray clouds hung like curtains over every tree, car and paved roadway. I looked out of my window and I found Leon‘s truck on the left chugging loudly by my ear as he passed by my unmoving car. Even the California coast sunflowers looked dull.

As I sat in my car on a mundane morning, I decided to look up. Right in the middle of the sky,  I saw two beautiful white birds fluttering together and free falling. It was like watching a fine ballet dance against a gray backdrop. The music was the sound of traffic, so any engine rhythm worked perfectly.

Their bodies fluidly moved in circles around each other and their wings gracefully held them close. I watched as I almost heard violins playing softly in my head. “A sky ballet,” I thought.

It only lasted about three or four seconds. But right in the middle of a gray day and traffic, I was blessed to see such a beautiful ballet dance.

Missing God’s Gifts

As I moved along about one mile per hour, I wondered how often we go by God’s gifts because we are preoccupied with the worries and cares of this life. How often do we miss beautiful moments like sunrises and sunsets, beautiful cloud formations, trees bowing in the wind or ballet birds? I believe moments like these become mini vacations. They break up intense moments. And just for a few seconds, they wash away the cares of this world.

Even though many of us live in the big cities, when we take a moment to see what God has put in motion, our hearts touch the handiwork of God. It is while I am in motion in the big city, I’ve seen comical bumblebees try to fly straight with balls of pollen that are almost bigger than they are. I’ve seen hummingbirds fly right in front of my face as their feathers sparkle in the sun. I’ve seen flowers that have grown out of concrete desperately declaring God’s beauty. I’ve seen the wind make rivers of sand across the surface of the beach.

Psalms 139:14 is usually referenced because it tells us to praise God because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. But I have come to appreciate the second sentence in that verse, “ Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Over the years, I have come to understand that the beauty of God pushes its way through our chaos and our busyness, and I praise him for wonderful beauty– and my soul knows it very well.

Pamela Williams writes from Southern California.

If you liked this, you may also like What the Birds Teach | Worshipping God By Admiring His Creation 

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About Pamela A. Williams, MPH, RD

Pamela A. Williams, MPH, RD

is a dietitian, photographer, and writer in Southern California.

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