Tiny Blessings

Blessed are your eyes, for they see God’s works

The robin’s nesting

The picture is of a robin sitting on her nest, in the hanging flower basket on my front porch.  I put the basked up only a week ago, and the very next day I saw the beginnings of a nest, as if she had been waiting for me to put the basket there, where it had hung in previous years --- a lot of previous years.  Over the years I have had ducks nesting amidst the front flowers and the back bushes, and rabbits in the lawn and in my garden (nesting there before I put up the fencing to keep them out).  And robins, on my deck, on the window sill on my front porch, and yes, in my hanging baskets.  Those things just happened over the years, little blessings, which I tend to forget, but last night I read that little prayer in my breviary, and noticed the comment I had penciled in next to those words, a reminder of the robin’s actions in the previous year.  Tiny blessings on my front porch, a prayer telling me so, from God to me.  He gives me blessings in the beauty of His works.

I was glad to see that reminder in my prayer book, I so easily forget.  God is good to us not only in the grandiose miracles and prayers answered, but also in the little things.  I spoke to some friends on Sunday about some of the works I had done for God, and some of the blessings He has given in return but, I said, the most appreciated blessing is the hug I get, on some rare occasions.  I think a hug is like that robin nesting on the porch, something you can see, and even better, feel.

I believe most people are consciously trying to lead good lives, to be good people.  What does a good life, a good person, look like?  Well, there is where some of us disagree.  But I think most would agree that a sincere hug, or a little blessing on your front porch, is a sign of some sort that God is saying: “Thank you for your efforts,” regardless of how good you are.

Gigantic miracles and prayers answered just as we prayed for don’t happen often to most of us.  We need to appreciate the small blessings and give thanks.