Live, love, trust

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

Live, love, trust

A mallard sits in the middle of the street on our little cul-de-sac. Today, he sits alone. Other days his mate sits beside him. After a rain, they waddle down the street amid the puddles.

They are unconcerned with we, who call this street home. Apparently, it is their home, too, although their home is larger than the meager square feet of the townhouses that line Old George Way.

Their home includes the bushes where they shelter from the sun and the tiny pond where they shower beneath the spray shooting skyward. They also claim the sidewalk and the day lilies in back of the house.

Occasionally, our movements stir them, but they have no problem staring down cars forced to divert around them on the street. We pay our taxes and mortgages, but they own the place.

That’s fine with me; I suspect with the neighbors, too. We live together in harmony, although the mallards appear to have fewer worries. They live in the moment, inviting us to watch and learn, although I wonder how many human hearts are capable of such.

More than one spiritual writer suggests that anything that invites you to trust love is, for all practical purposes, Christ for you, at least in that moment. If so, then my mallard neighbor is the voice of the Love, who says, ‘Do not be afraid, you are of more value than the sparrows.’ I assume Jesus would include ducks in this, too.

My mallard neighbor has little idea that he is my teacher, the voice of Love who says, “Live, love, trust. You have no idea how precious you are.”

I just hope he returns often to sit outside my window. I can always use a reminder.

Pr. David L. Miller