Written by Wendy Neill, Advancement Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Searcy, AR
I love birds. When I watch them, I am awed at God’s creativity and His attention to detail. The tiny, ruby-throated hummingbird can zoom past you, but stops instantly to hover or reverse direction. God gave parakeets, parrots, and macaws vibrant colors and even the ability to mimic human speech! That ability seems to serve no other purpose than to delight us, His children.
I recently moved into a different home and I am thrilled to have a sunroom office, looking out on two bird feeders. Bright red cardinals with their black masks are frequent visitors. I love watching them, but they also watch me! They hop on the bush right outside my window while I work, getting closer and closer. Then they tilt their little heads so they can get a good look at me. I realized the other day that by peering at me through the horizontal blinds on my windows, it must have appeared that I was the one in a cage! I laughed out loud and said “Well, I do feel like I am in a cage these days.”
The pandemic has forced many of us to stay home and to avoid social activities. I am an extrovert and I really miss being around people! All I do is work, eat, and sleep. I don’t leave my house for days at a time, and it feels like a cage.
But sometimes it is good to, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). It gives us time to reflect, and to redefine our priorities. We don’t have to feel trapped in a cage. We can ask the Father to show us what we can do to glorify Him in the midst of our isolation.
I have often been self-absorbed through this pandemic. Have you? By redefining priorities and asking God for help, we can find ways to reach out to others and encourage them. Writing a card, sending a text, calling just to catch up, getting on Zoom or FaceTime for a few minutes, or even meeting in person when possible, can really be a mutual encouragement. I personally found great joy in sending care packages to college students I didn’t even know during their quarantine in a lonely dorm room.
What are some ways you can break free from your “cage” to encourage others?