Vol. 16 No. 10 | March 11, 2013
As I write I am sitting on our deck on a beautiful spring morning. The air has a warmth and freshness that we have not felt in months. The sky is a beautiful blue with a few thin white clouds scattered around. The grass is beginning to turn green. It is early enough in the spring that the mowers and blowers are not yet running. So the only sounds I hear are the birds singing, the blowing sounds of jets flying overhead, the faint sound of automobiles passing on a nearby street, and an occasional muffled conversation between neighbors as we begin to emerge from winter caves. It is a very nice morning.
There is one more sound that piques my interest. At first I could not locate it. It is not a loud noise, but a distinct one. I have heard it before. I remember it from late last fall when I was recouping from an illness and spent quite a lot of time on this deck. What was that sound? Then, I located it. It is a small bird perched on a branch next to a window of our neighbor’s house.
The bird apparently sees his (I do not know if it is a he or a she, so assume it is a he since most would say a female would not make this mistake) reflection in the window and is confused about whether it is real. He sits on the branch, looks at the window and then tries to fly through it. Since I do not speak or think bird I do not know what he is thinking. Does he think it is open space with another branch to land on? Does he think, “That is one beautiful chick and I want to meet her?” (Let’s not get into gender identification issues here. Remember I am speculating.) Does he think, “Hey dude, let’s be friends”? Obviously I do not know what this little bird is thinking.
What I do know is that this little bird is confused and is wearing himself out trying to get through this window or get to the bird he sees in the reflection. For several minutes he beats his beak and body against the window, then he flies away. Maybe he goes to a mentor bird and asks for advice. Then, he returns to once again to battle the image in the window.
The bird reminds me of me. There are times when what I see in the reflection is not what really is. There are times when I beat myself up about what I see when I look in the mirror and there are times when I think much too highly of myself.
Sometimes when I see my reflection in the mirror I see a man who seems to have his act together. At first glance that guy in the mirror seems to be a pretty good guy. He loves God. He loves his wife and children. He has always worked hard to provide for his family. He loves his church family and does his best to serve the Lord with his gifts and tries to use his blessings to encourage other people. But, when I look closer I realize that he is a sinner, and that because of his sin he has fallen far short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22-24). I realize that he is dead in his sins (Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:12-14). And I realize he is a slave to sin (John 8:33-35).
Sometimes when I see my reflection in the mirror I see a man who seems to have nothing together. All I can see is the sins the man has committed. All I can see is his guilt. All I can see is his shame. He is a sinner. He is guilty. He is ashamed. But, when I look closer I realize that he has been rescued from his sin (Romans 5:6-8). I realize that he has been blessed through forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-3). I realize that he has gained redemption through the forgiveness of his sins (Ephesians 1:6-8). I realize that because of Jesus his sins have been forgiven (1 John 2:11-13).
The bird has left his perch. At least temporarily he seems to have learned the truth about the image reflected in the window. This man has also gained a better understanding of who he is: He is a sinner who deserves to be punished, but he has been forgiven and redeemed by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. For now I realize that I am nothing without God. For now I am grateful to be loved by the living God.
Tom
© Copyright 2013 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.