Robins….it all started with Robins one February day in Texas. It was unseasonably hot, over 80 degrees, and our air conditioner had stopped working, so I had opened the windows and doors to allow fresh air to cool down the stuffy house. I was going about my day when the chittering of birds outside caught my attention. We had been in our house for seven years and had never experienced such an event. I stepped onto the patio and looked to see hundreds of Robins in the trees surrounding our property and in our “avian high rise,” a 30 foot wall of viburnum that bordered our pool and was often a popular place for the local birds to hang out.
I have always had a sense of awe and wonder in nature and this was no exception. It was quite a sight and their songs echoed throughout the house for several hours before they eventually moved on. It made an impression on this nature lover and later I would learn that Robins are symbolically seen as a sign of new beginnings, renewal, rebirth and protection. For me, that was extraordinary, as I had been going through a rather long, difficult season and I was weary.
The weeks following the Robins visit, once again, this time, as I set out to walk my dogs in the neighborhood, I was met with a cacophony of birdsong and chatter and looked up in the trees to see hundreds of purple martins. They filled the trees all the way down the street and just as quickly as the appeared, as we walked along, they flew away, one tree at a time. Once again I was awestruck and I started to wonder if maybe this was more that just coincidence.
The weeks that followed were full of significant bird moments, different times of day and even different locations, but filled with large flocks of birds finding their way into my day. I I had not experienced birds like this before and while there are ebbs and flow to nature, the exact timing of me being outside for each event as it happened, my heart knew this was God reaching out to little ol me, showing me in no uncertain terms that he saw me, he heard my cries and wanted to remind me that He was still with me and for me and that He has a plan for me.
This went on for six weeks. It wasn’t until the birds stopped finding me that I became acutely aware that the day they stopped showing up in large flocks, was also Easter. I won’t pretend to know the exact significance but it was poignant none the less and left me wondering what God was up to.
In the following year, He was indeed faithful in ushering my husband and myself out of a difficult season into a new , calmer season – in another state far away from anyone or anything familiar ( read more here) and we felt his blessing upon us.
Fast forward almost eight years….and many hills and valleys, and signs and wonders later, I’ve once again found myself in the company of Robins.
I should take a moment to pause the story here – I have been through difficult seasons before, but this last patch was by far, one of the roughest. I lost myself somewhere along the way. I’ve held onto faith, and still believe that God is good and never leaves me, that His ways are better than mine and that there is purpose in the pain. I also know that as I grew more weary and sad, I allowed resentment and bitterness start to take root in my heart and I am not a fan. It has to go!! I lost my joy.
As I stepped out to walk my dog that rarely wants to be walked in the morning, I popped my earbuds in and hit play on my phone. I couldn’t see the screen because of the glare of the sun, so I had no idea what would come on. As we got to the end of the driveway, the * lyrics started, ” Smoke clouds all around, Couldn’t see your face, Darkness consumed me, stuck in bitterness…”
Resonating with with lyrics, I turned and there at the end of the street, the yard was filled with at least 50 Robins, chittering and fluttering about! I’ve been in this neighborhood for five years and not once have I seen more than a couple of Robins in one place.
The lyrics continued, ” But I know there’s a light that’s waiting up ahead, So I will stay in the fight and look to the one who said, Hold on just a little bit longer, I know it’s gonna be okay…” Tears welled up in my eyes as I felt the God of the universe reaching out to me. To me! To remind his child that He loves me and He is still there with me with a song of hope!
To drive the point home even further, that our God is a personal God, that He is El Roi – the God who see us, I would be remiss if I didn’t finish the story.
I spent the rest of the walk basking in the glow of the ever so personal, sweet reminder of who I belong to and that He sees me and loves me! I came back inside, determined to catch up on the bible reading plan I had already gotten behind on – I wanted to linger in the closeness I felt with our creator. I flipped open to the story of Hagar in Genesis and wouldn’t you know it? Her story includes her feeling alone, rejected, abandoned and unseen. And what does God do? He makes a point of drawing near to her, letting her know He sees her., He loves her and He will bless her.
I can’t say if the Robins will once again symbolize for us a new and calmer season again, but I can say without any doubt that God took the time to connect with me, to let me know He sees me, He loves me and He will never leave me.
He sees you too, and He loves you!
Do you have a story of being seen by God? I’d love to hear your story!
*Song lyrics from “Hold On” by Katy Nicole
New Mercies 