I’m sort of nerdy, I guess. When you own a book called The Birder’s Life List and Master Reference, it’s not too difficult a conclusion to reach.
A conclusion, by the way, repeatedly confirmed by my family units.
Me: Wow! That’s a Crested Nuthatch!
Family Units: Dad, you’re a nerd.
Me: Look! There’s a Tufted Titmouse!
Family Units: Dad, you sure are nerdy.
So I provided my feathered friends a bird bath. Nothing too fancy; just a concrete bowl with some fresh water. When it’s really hot outside, and it hasn’t rained in a while, the bird bath is a popular bird destination. At times, the congestion at the bath encourages some fairly raucous disputes between the cardinals and the wood thrushes. Once the jays got involved, and I had to call in the law.
Mostly, though, it’s a single bird stopping by for a drink and a dip. Curiously, the birds don’t seem to mind whether the dip or the drink is first. As I sat on the porch watching the dipping and drinking (remember the nerd factor), I thought “That bird has no clue where that water came from. To him, it’s just there. He doesn’t appreciate what I’ve done for him.”
But then, perhaps the bird does know. Perhaps in his dipping and drinking he is instinctively demonstrating for me and all the other nerds that the water and all other good things have been provided, not by me, but by God who created them and us. And perhaps it’s not the bird who has no clue, but instead it’s me who hasn’t a clue where all the things I enjoy come from.
Truly, though, I – and you – do know that God has provided us many wonderful gifts.
Every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17)