"I've seen birds have meetings, mom."
I'm not sure I understand my just turned four-year-old sons comment from the Britax car seat directly behind me, so I repeat, "You've seen birds have
meat-ings?"
"Ya, see, right there." The boy is pointing to the blackbirds blanketing the field to our left. "They're having a meeting with their friends."
I smile and affirm his observation.
And I love how he sees because he doesn't just see a flock of birds preparing to journey further south for survival sake. He sees a flock of birds congregating in community. And he's aware of this innate need for relationship, with which we were created.
I consider that field and for a handful of strategic, purposeful and advantageous reasons those blackbirds journey together, not alone. As in sync as a bird is with our creator God,
that bird knows its innate need to journey within its flock.
We're headed north at about 30 miles an hour and this observation makes me think of something the Bishop said this morning in church. He had talked about how God created us for community.
God didn't intend for one Christian to stand alone accepting his faith as just between he and God. Although one may very well have a personal faith and that is good,
God intended for us to live out our faith through community - a unified body of individuals (believers)
.
And then my son reminds me, as we're driving along, that even the birds of the air know that it is wiser and safer and healthier to journey together.
Mothers are not meant to mother alone, children are not meant to grow up alone, and Christians are not meant to walk alone. We pull along side one another and, like a flock, we create a strong cord not easily broken, help navigate the path in which we were purposed, protect one another from predators, and together seek the Living Food that sustains us.
We congregated in church this morning and listened to six members speak about their recent mission to Juarez, Mexico, witnessed eight eighth graders commit their lives to Christ, and hosted after-church-brunch at our house. We're on the road now to celebrate the life of a friend and this is not a journey simply for survival sake.
This journey is the very essence of what we were created for.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up...though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Counting with Ann today:
spur of the moment road trips
a surprise for grandma and grandpa
safe travels
the excitement of children
discovering puzzles and letters and everything new
curiosity
enthusiasm to learn
getting all of the cardboard out of the garage and to the recycling bin
a house-full of beautiful people that make up community
family that makes up community
{Photo source}
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