A Road Less Travelled

Life has felt really heavy lately. Sometimes I feel a little lost. We went on our trip to Erie and when we left we had a house and a church. We got back and we don’t have a church anymore and we are constantly working on removing our presence from this house. We left full and we came back missing things.

We should be moving on Saturday the 29th. That day feels far away. And between here and there are all kinds of possibilities for the new house to fall through. I feel that weight on me. We are currently visiting a church, but we aren’t members there yet. That is not a good place to be and I can feel that weighing on me. Sometimes it just feel too heavy and I want to go lie down and hide from it all.

When we were visiting Erie I borrowed an album from my sister. It an album I used to love and haven’t listened to in years. There is a song on the album that is just perfect for the time.

STARING AT A BIRD:

I’m here staring at a bird in a tree
Lying still, only wishing he were me
‘Cause for a bird it’s not a crime
To try and satisfy his bird belly hunger
Or fly the blue belly sky

And from his bird’s eye view
He can pick and he can choose
He doesn’t have to grieve his spirit
No he doesn’t have to lose a moment’s joy there in his nest
No matter what his mess, and he can barrel out his chest
And he can fly away…

CHORUS:
But I’m pinned down in my bed again
I don’t think I could fly (I wouldn’t try)
If I was a bird I would be content
To peck along the ground
‘Cause I’m pinned down again…

I’m here staring at a bird on a limb
Lying still, only wishing I was him
‘Cause I could use a haven,
A nest above my fate
Call it a rest from the chasing of me pillow and my plate

And for a bird it’s always right to love his appetite
He’s too dumb to know the struggle, to weak to know the fight
He can fly south when he gets cold, sing until he’s old
And on a whim, he can unfold his wings
And fly away

CHORUS:
I’m here staring at a bird in the air
I wonder what I’d see if I looked down from there
I’d see a shattered temple, all it’s members in a sweat
Everyone’s been degraded, every sermon they forget

I’d see a man pulled from his bed by the same Hands of Love
That hung a cross around his neck
Just to remind him, remind him who he was…

CHORUS

The only reason I get up each morning is because God pulls me up every day. That is true across the board and not just when life gets heavy. The only reason I can get up and be happy in my day is because God reaches down from Heaven and picks me up and gives me joy. And since He’s shown up every day so far I can’t imagine He would ditch me now just when life feels heaviest. So I got up this morning and I shouldered the burden He gave me and I felt happy in my work. And tomorrow by His good grace I’ll do it again. Today has enough trouble I don’t need to go borrowing from tomorrow. And when tomorrow gets here so will a new measure of grace. There’s no need to fret and fuss. Even when life is heavy I can be joyful and I can be happy in the life God has gifted me. And so I will.