My camera was ready. Poised like a hunter patiently stalking his prey, I was going to get that perfect shot this morning. The two hummingbirds flitted and flirted with the hanging feeder containing the sweet red nectar they craved. They seem to come every morning during my time of reflection. This time, camera was in hand. I stood there, ready. About 20 minutes went by. My camera kept shutting off on its own, tired of waiting, I guess. The birds didn’t come back and I didn’t get the shot. Not yet, at least.
So I went back to reflection- about hummingbirds and faith. I am increasingly aware that The Holy Spirit somehow dwells within me. I know this because I commune with Him there. We have these talks. Why do you make some people so annoying? Why didn’t you design me with bigger muscles or with teeth that didn’t ache? Well, as we learn to receive from our spirits, we learn to be Spirit-led. We also learn how to live our lives by faith and the World of God‘s Kingdom begins to influence our world. Very cool.
Faith, the substance (sweetness) of the unseen realm of God’s world comes to us as the scripture reminds us, by hearing. This, of course, implies communion, or as my elusive hummingbird friends, drawing upon the sweet nectar of Heaven. It’s the listening heart, in the moment, that draws upon deposits of faith. I can feel when I am doing this.
When I go long periods of time without drawing Heaven’s nectar, I get grumpy, and in my opinion, which may be a shared opinion, I get weird. My flesh begins to feel curious appetites and my thoughts begin to imagine negative things. I am going to starve to death and end up wanting to eat my running shoes to survive. Or I withdraw. Like a troll, living in isolation under a bridge, I want to be alone. No love to share. I space out.
Then the morning comes and I wait. Like that hummingbird, I go to my Source. I sit quietly and draw from the spirit. A verse of scripture or words of another jump off the page. I know when the Spirit is speaking to me. Then it happens, life-given power and encouragement from Heaven begins to pour through me. I drink somehow and feel invigorated. Like 160 mg of caffeine pumping through my veins after slurping down a Monster Drink, I feel energy of Love pulsate through my spirit. It changes everything.
Faith helps us see from Heaven’s perspective. I find myself wanting to love people. That’s right, for no reason, just because. Sort of like Scrooge right after he realized he wasn’t a goner after the 3rd spirit left him in a feverish sweat. And my perspective changes. I feel like nothing is impossible. If God is for me, then who can be against me? Someone would be a darn fool to be against God or against one of God’s kids!
Tomorrow is another day and I will wait again. With camera in hand, I am going to get that perfect shot!
