Listening

I’m sitting on the back porch listening to the sweetest conversation between the birds. 

With crow interrupting. 

Crow must be in the tree below. Right above my deck. Right above my head. He is terribly loud. He obviously wants to join the conversation, but he doesn’t know how. He doesn’t understand the social construct that will allow this. This makes his sound, so much louder than all the rest, unpleasant. 

He reminds me of the child who tugs at my clothes. 

I need you Mrs. Griffin. 

I’m almost finished. 

BUT I need you now!

Two thoughts are twirling in my head. The first is to ignore crow and focus on cardinal and robin. The second is to listen and understand that he too has a story to tell. A very necessary purpose to fulfill. And he needs attention now. 

In this moment, I’m hit with a third thought and am reminded of a symphony. The sweet sounds of violins, flutes, and cellos. The much louder sounds of drums, cymbals, and horns demanding immediate attention. And then, the silent pauses, the quiet anticipation for what might come next. 

So now, I’m listening to the wildlife in this tree differently. 

Birds twittering

Cicadas singing

Squirrels scampering

Crows cawing

Along with periodic silence

It’s quite a lovely symphony. My classes at work. Life happening.

Life. 

I’d rather focus on the cardinals and robins in life. I want desperately to find the pleasant and good. But squirrels and crows need our attention too. They have their part in life’s symphony. We deal with irritations, anger, pain when they start to play. We deal with them, so they don’t become life’s ongoing focus. 

I know all too well how difficult this can be. Rereading that last paragraph, it strikes me as being a bit trite. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and trudge on towards happiness trite.

Not so!

I am still in pain. I am still grieving — overpowering me at times. This, however, is not the part of the symphony where I want to make camp. This is the clanging cymbal in God’s plan. This is God shouting, Do you see Me? Do you hear Me? Do you understand that the pain is what makes the joy so fulfilling? 

This is the sound letting me know that something else is coming. My season is changing.

James 5:13 (NASB) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.

I’m ready to sing.