The Time of the Singing of the Birds has Come

By Sheila Schuller Coleman

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are?" -Matthew 6:26 (NIV)
Many of you have heard my father preach on this scripture: "The time of the singing of the birds has come" (Song of Solomon 2:12). And, every time I have heard him share on that scripture, I had a hard time relating to it. Don't birds sing all the time?

Here in sunny Southern California, we have birds around us all of the time. They don't migrate south for the winter, and others migrate in from colder climates. I was thinking about that the other day when I received a text message from my youngest son, Nicholas. Nicholas is in graduate school on the East Coast in Connecticut. This is his first winter outside of sunny Southern California. So, he calls me and sends me pictures of the piles of snow that he's trudging through. He has complained loudly about how cold he is. I hear from him, "Why am I here? It's ten degrees below zero. I'm walking home from studio at midnight in a blizzard. I can't even see where I'm going."

Meanwhile, back at home one sunny, warm California morning, I opened my windows and started thinking about Nicholas back east in all that snow. I thought, "I bet he doesn't open his windows because it's too cold." But, even if he did, he wouldn't hear a bird sing. All the birds have migrated south for the winter where it's warm. However, spring is on its way. In fact, when spring arrives in Connecticut, I expect Nick will open up his windows to hear the birds singing again. When spring returns, "the time of the singing of the birds has come" - the sign that the winter is over and the blizzards are gone.

For you and me, for many of us, we have been experiencing a winter in our lives - brought on by the recession, serious health concerns, and troubling relationship issues. It has been a long, hard, stormy winter. When will spring come?

God always promises! The spring always arrives! The winter always comes to an end. And, with the end of winter, with the beginning of spring, the birds return. The birds' songs is are a signal that the winter blizzard is over. A new life has sprung. A new day has dawned.

The time of the singing of the birds will come and, even if you still see no signs of spring or encouragement that the storms are ending, hear the song of Jesus – today! He is the songbird in your life. Hear His song*: "Why should I feel discouraged...when Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow..." - you and me. Today, hear the song, feel the warmth of the love song of Jesus in your heart. No matter how cold your day is, the Lord will warm your heart.

*"His Eye is on the Sparrow," C.D. Martin, C.H. Gabriel.