Name: Linda
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Bread of Life
During the recent ice storm here everything was covered by an inch thick layer of ice. We had sleet first, which formed a thick layer of what looked like snow, and then the freezing rain on top of that. The trees, grass and plants were encased in ice.
When the rain finally stopped, I noticed them – the little birds fluttering around in the icy branches of the oak trees. There were tiny little titmouse, blue birds and I even saw some robins. The robins must have been thinking, “Boy oh boy!! We flew hundreds of miles to escape the winter blast in the north only to have it show up here. We thought it was supposed to be warm in the south!!”
We felt so sorry for them. We didn’t have any wild birdseed so we shredded slices of bread into teeny, tiny pieces and put it out on the sidewalk for them. There it was – abundant provision to tide them over until the ice melted. My husband scattered it right below the tree where I had seen them. We watched – anticipating their delight in finding the bread we had provided for them.
They never found it. I suppose they weren’t used to finding food there and never even looked. There was no way for them to get food on their own and yet they didn’t take what we had provided for them. I felt so bad.
I was thinking about that today. So often I am just like those little birds. Life goes on as usual and all is well. Then comes the storm. The landscape of my life is changed, and I need help to get through. Too often I look in all the wrong places for help. I “fly” around searching for answers when all the time the answer was right there in front of me. Does God look at my “fluttering” and think, “Child, I have provided exactly what you need. The Bread of Life is right there. You have only to take it in.”
If I don’t make a daily habit of spending time in the Word, I won’t know where to look when I am desperate for nourishment. It will sit there right in front of me – containing everything I need and I won’t see it. Help me Lord, to faithfully take in the nourishment You have provided for me.
Matthew 4:4 “…Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
Blessings,
When the rain finally stopped, I noticed them – the little birds fluttering around in the icy branches of the oak trees. There were tiny little titmouse, blue birds and I even saw some robins. The robins must have been thinking, “Boy oh boy!! We flew hundreds of miles to escape the winter blast in the north only to have it show up here. We thought it was supposed to be warm in the south!!”
We felt so sorry for them. We didn’t have any wild birdseed so we shredded slices of bread into teeny, tiny pieces and put it out on the sidewalk for them. There it was – abundant provision to tide them over until the ice melted. My husband scattered it right below the tree where I had seen them. We watched – anticipating their delight in finding the bread we had provided for them.
They never found it. I suppose they weren’t used to finding food there and never even looked. There was no way for them to get food on their own and yet they didn’t take what we had provided for them. I felt so bad.
I was thinking about that today. So often I am just like those little birds. Life goes on as usual and all is well. Then comes the storm. The landscape of my life is changed, and I need help to get through. Too often I look in all the wrong places for help. I “fly” around searching for answers when all the time the answer was right there in front of me. Does God look at my “fluttering” and think, “Child, I have provided exactly what you need. The Bread of Life is right there. You have only to take it in.”
If I don’t make a daily habit of spending time in the Word, I won’t know where to look when I am desperate for nourishment. It will sit there right in front of me – containing everything I need and I won’t see it. Help me Lord, to faithfully take in the nourishment You have provided for me.
Matthew 4:4 “…Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
Blessings,
Linda
19 Comments:
Lovely post Linda, and whenever I trust the Lord and his light illuminates the way, I find myself in his favor. He is so good to us.
I am so glad there is more than bread alone and that his words fill me with hope, guidance and comfort. :)
This was so beautiful...and I really needed to read this today, Linda!
Such a good thought today! Beautiful. I keep wondering how you're doing with your packed boxes.
My son and I started our series today about his journey to restoration and deliverance. What a blessing!
I just published my first addition, and Kev did his at his wife's site this morning.
I can't imagine the difficulty of what you're going through right now.
What an excellent illustration for the "Bread of Life", you have been a blessing to me today!
What a beautiful illustration as to God's love and provision for us and how so many times we don't even see it. You have a God given talent with words. BE BLESSED
What a great comparison, us and the birds. It made me think of one of my favorite songs: His Eye Is On The Sparrow. You're right, He must wonder why we don't eat the nourishment He so freely and graciously offers, and eat food that doesn't satisfy instead, or worse, nothing at all.
I just loved this post!!
Your words at my site were so sweet, and what did I find when I come here? More wisdom. God used you to speak to my heart. I am so often like that hungry bird, fighting the storm yet missing God's provision right in front of my face. Thanks for your insight.
Linda,
Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed this post. You gave us a timely reminder in terms that we could all relate to..
I'm keeping you in my prayers..
Any word on the house??
hugs!!
This is so beautiful and I love the picture. Don't send the robins further south, it's cold here in Corpus, too.
A beautifully written post dear Linda...I love the way you compare us to the birds..so much truth in it! Take good care of yourself! Hugs xoxo
Consider the sparrows; they don't toil nor spin....
This is good writing, Linda, in my opinion, maybe your best yet. :-)
Thanks for your sweet words on my blog and helping me celebrate my Blogiversary. It's special friends like you that make it so enjoyable.
Hugs,
Diane
I loved your analogy of the food being there, but not knowing to look for it, to being in the Word daily. Your post wasnt really about feeding birds, but you'd be surprised at what birds think of as food. I have a book that lists other items besides birdseed - leftover pasta, cookie crumbs, pieces of dried cheese, anything rolled in peanut butter! So next time they show up you might want to clean your fridge - you'll be surprised what you find, and putting it out in a pie tin makes it easier for them to see too. xoxo
This is such a great analogy! Thanks for the gentle reminder!
Beautiful Linda. The birds have so much to teach us if we'll just stop long enough to watch and learn.
Any advice my sister Bev gives you about birds is good advice - she's a bird lover and has a gazillion of them in her yard and around all her feeders.
Very beautiful analogy here,Linda. It's something we all need to think about. It does make me a little sad that those poor birds never found the food you put out for them.
About you previous post, when you switched, the whole comment situation seems to get a little wacky when you switch - different problems for different people. Hopefully, it will straighten itself out.
qvieToo often I look in all the wrong places for help. I “fly” around searching for answers when all the time the answer was right there in front of me. Does God look at my “fluttering” and think, “Child, I have provided exactly what you need. The Bread of Life is right there. You have only to take it in.”
Thank you for reminding me of this - I was needing that! I'm going to potter off to pray and read. I shouldn't be so worried and stressed and getting myself so tied up in knots without speaking to God about it first!
This is so right on...So often we become so blinded by what God provides us...we become so comfortable in our little corner of the world that we forget to look around.
Wonderful post! God Bless!
I really enjoyed reading this one I go looking for answers all over the place when something comes up and eventually I end up right back where I started, and yes God's provision is right in front of my face where it was the whole time i was off looking in another direction.
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