Such a strange thing to write about: my dog’s fur…
But maybe not.
Guess who started a not-for-profit recycling business?
Gray's face when I asked her if she would help with a little bird project.
Gray and I came up with a plan. Well, I came up with it, she "willingly" participated.
"How about I give you a little clip and clip? We give your fur to the birds for their nests?"
If you have as much as glanced out the window these days, you've seen the sparrows, robins, and wrens scurrying about with twigs, leaves, and other random scraps sideways in their beaks. They flutter off to some secret spot, hopefully out of reach of Blue Jays and Crows 😠 (I know, I know...food chain. Whatever.)
So, clip I did. Scott and I stopped taking Gray to the groomer during COVID, and we saved over $80 every 5-6 weeks. Scissors and reading glasses work just fine.
It's still chilly here in PA. We went down to 28 in early April, and I'm certain we have some babies already squawking over the edge of their nest or at least starting to tap away at their thin shell-house! Twenty-eight degrees is rough! Gray to the rescue!
Gray's fur will generate some serious heat for these eggs and mini-winged peeps. So, we went to work. She stood still, I clipped her fur into a pile of fluff, and "we" stuffed her offerings into an old suet square hanging on an already popular tree. Scott wasn't so sure... but after only 3.5 days, her clump of fur was all gone!
"How many nests on our block have Gray's fur mixed in?" 🙃
Don't worry, I clipped off more...and a little more...around the legs, on the top of her head (excellent spot for some good chunks!), around her muzzle, and on her back. Gray started to look a little uneven and skinny 🤷🏻♀️, but we generated a nice pile, went outside, stuffed the box again, and waited.
Gray’s recycling project!
And then, it happened. One day, while glancing out the window, I saw a pair of sparrows with Gray's fur fluffing out of their beaks. It was enough to keep me clipping, snipping, and stuffing!
I was reminded of the oft-quoted Scripture, "Look to the birds! They don't sow or reap or store away, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them."
If there is one thing I do consistently in my life, it is take care of the birds in my yard. Water, suet, mealworms, brush to hide in (I even stuck our 🎄-tree out by the feeders after Christmas to create shelter for the winter months! I know, I know...crossing a line), seeds hidden away, topped off in feeders, on the window sills, and scattered about the ground for mourning doves, juncos, and song sparrows.
It is a sturdy reminder to me to know that God is more attentive, compassionate, able, willing, and motivated than I am with these little winged creatures I adore, and more than that, he cares for me with a greater commitment and affection.
My life is in his hands. He sees me and will not forget me. He won't run out of steam. He isn't demanding or waiting for me to "figure it out and make something of myself." He is gracious and long-suffering. It is not always easy to trust him or believe that he is faithful when circumstances in our lives seem the total opposite of generous or kind. He will keep on with me, even when I turn from him. He is not dependent on me being good for him to be good.
Some of you need to hear that.
Author Annie Dillard has a consistent theme in her work--LOOK. Be attentive and see what the world will give you. A quote I read recently in her book, The Writing Life, inspired me:
“Examine all things intensely and relentlessly...Admire the world for never ending on you—as you would admire an opponent, without taking your eyes off him, or walking away.”
It is not often that God speaks in dramatic, billboard form. Sometimes he does. But mostly he wants us to stop spinning at breakneck speed, in circles, exhausting ourselves, and over-stuffing our lives with so much busyness that we never SEE or HEAR. He doesn't want us to live in 5th speed so much that our only other speed is asleep, crashing, and burning out.
He speaks in surprisingly ordinary ways. In the pause at the window, in the silence on the couch in the morning, in the car alone, or on your walk with nothing going into your ears but the sound of the birdsong.
May Spring renew your body and soul, and may it sharpen your eyes, and ears...to be fully alive is to be fully awake.
Did you know Dawn Woods works one-on-one with people, inspiring them to live from a place of fullness rather than fear and insecurity? If you are looking for an outside voice to help clear out the fog, she would love to connect!
Set up a free consultation today!