I wanted that pigeon dead; it’s sad but true. Don’t get me wrong, I love birds. I’d love to have a house and barnyard full of them. (Not that I have a barn!) But I did not like that pigeon! “Kill that pigeon, I said!”
The outside walls of old Italian houses like ours, are full of nooks and crannies. Perfect nesting places for birds. And I usually think: “Oh how nice, baby birds to watch!”
But that morning dove came through loud and clear every day. Too early. And too loud. And the longer I heard it, the more I wanted that bird dead!
But my attitude bothered me
It wasn’t even the bird’s fault. It was just doing what pigeons do. Then one morning as I got more and more angry, this Bible verse came to mind:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Give thanks for everything? That didn’t leave much room for grumbling and complaining, did it? And over a silly thing like a pigeon!! So I thanked God for that bird, and then I remembered how happy I always am when I see other wildlife. Was the pigeon really different?
And you know, all of a sudden I found all kinds of things to be thankful for!
I’m thankful that:
- I live in a peaceful, quiet place.
- It’s quiet enough to hear birds and insects chirping.
- It’s a beautiful area full of wildlife.
- I wake up to the singing of birds, not to the din of traffic.
- My alarm clock is a gentle dove. Instead of bombs exploding, like in so many places around the world.
The dove hasn’t gone away just because I’m thankful for it. She’s still there. But that’s okay. Because I know she’ll soon leave her nest, leaving my mornings in silence. And because the gentle cooing of that dove showed me how many blessings I forgot to count! We have so much to thank God for.
How many blessings are you forgetting to count?
For all that has been, Thank you. For all that is to come, Yes.
Dag Hammaskjold
📷 Image credits: pigeon; graphic made on Canva.
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