Droppings

When I got the car out of the garage the other day, I was dismayed to see that in addition to the usual dirt on the car, the windows were filthy with bird droppings. It was a bit embarrassing going to pick up my neighbour so I quickly washed it off.

Today I jumped into the car again and sighed deeply to see that again, the windows were streaked with droppings. But just then, a swallow swooped past me. And I had to smile.

It’s a small price to pay for the joy those swallows give us. They come back every year – how do they find us? They fly for days to get here, build their nests, lay their eggs, feed their chicks and then they line up on the power lines and return south. 

They chatter away to each other. They swoop around at breathtaking speed, ducking and diving. Their feathers are a gorgeous midnight blue/black. 

I don’t care if the car needs more frequent washing. It’s worth it.

I would like to think that Jesus feels that way about me. That although I regularly mess up, saying and doing things I shouldn’t, omitting doing the things I should, I believe that he cleans me up, when I ask, and delights in me.

I’m not being conceited here. He delights in you, too.