There is a certain type of bird that sings in the night. I don’t hear it often, but I absolutely love it when I do. It is singing tonight and I wish I could thank it – this precious little bird that sings through the darkness.
The morning after Dad left us, the morning sun shone through the window and birds started singing. I turned to Mom and choked out, “How can they sing today?” Didn’t they know what had happened? It felt like a betrayal and all kinds of wrong for the sun to shine and the birds to sing on such a day. “If they only knew, they would not be singing,” I thought. But maybe they know more than we do.
I love where we live because, daytime or throughout the night, you can hear creation singing.
It is not lost on me that the birdsong that felt so wrong on that sunny day when my world felt cloaked in darkness is so welcome to my soul now. I have realized the birds sing no matter what, sunshine or rain, in seasons of life or death, and for some reason it doesn’t feel like betrayal anymore but a picture of Hope.
Maybe they sing, not because of what they don’t know, but because of what they do.
Do the birds know the third day is coming tomorrow – the day we celebrate resurrection life? Maybe that is why they are singing with such cheerful abandon late into the night. Or do they just know the sun will come up tomorrow, as it always does? Or because they know God sees every single one of them and cares about every single one? Or because all that they need has been provided? Or because they were created to sing.
I have the resurrection life the third day brought living in me. I know that daylight always comes after darkness and where the sun faithfully rises, darkness cannot stay. There is always, always sunshine after darkness. God sees me and knows me and loves me. My name is engraved on the palms of His hands and His wrists took the nails that should have been mine. There is no need I have that God has not met in Jesus. I lack no good thing. I was created to sing – not just with my mouth but my soul.
If a little bird can sing through the darkness then so can I. If a little bird can praise God through the night seasons of life, then I, a Daughter of His heart, can too. I have so much more than the little bird who sings me through the night does. If it was made to sing, how much more was I? So tonight I join the voice of my heart with the song being played for me and we will worship together.
Light always comes after darkness. Great beauty can come from ashes. Dead things can come back to life again. Mourning can turn to rejoicing – all because of what happened on the third day. Thank You, God, for little birds who sing through every season and for the reason we sing – thank You for Jesus.