Hope is the Thing With Feathers

"'Hope' is the Thing with Feathers"

"'Hope' is the thing with feathers --

That perches in the soul --

And sings the tune without words --

And never stops -- at all --"

~Emily Dickinson~

I came across a photograph online this week of a bird on a thorny perch. Singing. His eyes are lifted heavenward, and his throat is open in song; he is oblivious to the fact that the branch on which he is perched is full of thorns. His focus isn't on the painful place on which he stands; he sings with abandon without a thought of his difficult, unpleasant and stinging surroundings. I am reminded of the scripture that tells us that we should be like the birds and the flowers, who don't worry about anything because they know that their fine raiment, shelter, and food all come from their Father in Heaven, who loves them and cares for their every need (See Matt 6:25 - 34). I want to be more like that; I will be honest with you, though...sometimes I focus more on the brambles and the spiny, thorny circumstances that cause me pain; I allow those things to squash my trust, steal my hope, and silence my song. But God is ever present, speaks to me in the quiet stillness of the night, and reminds me that He is with me every step of the way. He is, in fact, my HOPE, my song. And I know that no matter what comes my way, I do have a choice of where my focus is, and today I actively choose hope. It perches in my soul and sings for me...and never stops.