Ten Thousand Truths

There are joys which long to be ours. God sends ten thousands truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, and then fly away. ~Henry Ward Beecher

It's so easy in our world to get tunnel vision amidst all the demands and stressors we have...to stop noticing the simple beauty that surrounds us each day because we're busy checking off things on our to do list. That's especially true during the month of December when gift shopping, baking, and decorating are added to our already overloaded routines.

A few mornings ago I woke up and heard a sound outside that caught my attention. It was a strange murmuring sound that I don't normally hear. I peeked through the blinds of my window and there it was: an enormous flock of birds had landed in the trees of our yard. There were thousands of them, and the noise was the collective sound of their cooing on the tree limbs. Needless to say, I sprinted for my camera and then hastily tiptoed out onto our back deck so I wouldn't disturb them. I got a few shots in before they suddenly made a mass exodus, in unison, as if being directed by one feathered leader to take flight. The sounds that their wings made while taking flight, as one, was even more magnificent than their cooing...oh, how I wish I had caught it on video! My images don't really do them justice - the breadth of their presence was so much more than what I caught with my camera lens. They actually covered the trees in our front yard, too - my husband was watching from the front door!

Within a few seconds, there was complete silence and it was as if they had never been there. The trees stood still amidst the gray skies. All that was left was a smile on my face and a moment of awe that I had witnessed this event. It was one of those moments that brings you right to the present...every sense magnified, your feet firmly planted on the ground as if you and the earth are deeply connected. I wish I could remember to feel this sense of "now" every moment of my day. There's such clarity and gratefulness in it. Have you ever witnessed a wonder like this, a "truth" from nature that makes you gasp at the sight of it? That makes all your stress fall away, if only for a few moments? It's a wonderful thing.