Chirp

Chirping.  It can mean different things to different people believe it or not.  You can “Chirp” someone when you want to give them a hard time especially in sports.  Like, “Only losers like the Boston Bruins!”  That’s an excellent chirp.  You can also mean that someone is upbeat and cheerful.  Like, “Alex is really chirpy today.”  But enough with the grammar lesson.  Let’s just think about chirping like most people do – a bird’s way to communicate.

It wintertime and even here in the South it’s been cold and we’ve had a few days of snow and ice recently. It’s that time of year where the grass is brown, the trees are barren and what little daylight there is often ends up being gray and gloomy.  It’s just the way it goes weather wise this time of year.

Not so uplifting so far, I know.  It was with this backdrop that I heard it the other day and it’s had me thinking a lot about it.

The Chirp that is.  I was leaving my office building a few days ago after a particularly long and stressful day.  As I walked to my car in the drab and dreary gray and cold, I heard it.  A chirp and then a full song.  At least the chorus anyway.  It certainly seemed out of place.  A cold winter day with no food for a bird to be seen and certainly no reason to be chirping.

I spotted him quickly.  No leaves and the only creature making a sound makes that easy to do.  I’m no bird watcher so I can’t speak to what kind of bird it was.  Doesn’t really matter.  He was Chirping.

As I enjoyed his brief musical serenade and continued my journey to my car, I thought to myself “what’s he got to chirp about?”  Then it hit me.  Exactly. I was feeling none too grateful that afternoon and just assumed every other creature must be feeling the same way.  But they weren’t.  So, what gives with Mr. Happy McBirdy Face?

Well, he was doing exactly what he was created to do.  Live his daily life searching for some food and using his voice to communicate with other birds and to say, “It’s a good day and I feel like chirping.”  Kind of made me realize my grumpiness was not required. 

You see Jesus himself tells us in Matthew 10 and in Luke 12 that God knows about every sparrow and that not even 1 falls to the earth without His knowledge. So why wouldn’t this little guy sing on a dreary day?  He is fearfully and wonderfully made and is God’s hand. Just like us.  In fact, it’s in those same verses that Jesus is assuring us that if God knows the sparrows wouldn’t he care even more for us, his best creation?

I’ve been thinking a lot about Mr. Chirpy the past few days and it’s led me on a journey to be more thankful.  We’ve been so blessed with so much that it’s often easy to find ourselves grumbling when things aren’t perfect.

So next time you hear a chirp, think about that little bird. God knows exactly who he is and what he needs.  If he can care for the little birds, I’m sure he will take care of me and for that I can “Chirp” for him as well!