The Singing Tree

 A few mornings ago, Jonathan and I set off for our morning walk just before sunrise.

We love the silouettes of palm trees against the backdrop glow of dawn.

By the sidewalk these flowering shrubs had recently burst into bloom, 

 attracting hundreds of busy honeybees. 

We watched as these industrious insects hummed from one flower to another, gathering nectar.

Here was another bush where the bees were active already early in the morning. 

 

For some reason, birds were unusually active the last few mornings. Flocks of ducks and geese, or doves, or pigeons flew silouetted against the sky, wings beating the air. 

But what really entranced me was the sweet chorus of birdsong coming from somewhere. It sounded like a hundred birds singing all at once. Where could it be coming from?

Well, we discovered it was coming from this tree.

You wouldn't know there was anything unusual about this tree. You couldn't see a single bird.

The music was invisible. 

But it was there, 

sweet, happy, cheerful, energizing. 

We'd seen flocks of ducks or geese, pigeons or doves flying in circles different times,

like groups of people in the park out for their morning stroll,

only the park for birds is in the sky!

The sound we heard was the sound of beating wings.

But this time, there was music. 

Hidden music.

The singers could not be seen--until they were disturbed by our coming too close and flew away.

Lord, sometimes we who love You are just humans made of dust.

Sometimes people looking on our lives just see plain gray coats like those of pigeons and doves and ducks. 

Sometimes they see pain and suffering and disease and gray hair (or no hair) and pale faces and cancer and nausea.

But may there be those times, when despite our humble colors and the way we are hidden away in the commonplace and the ordinary

and even the ugly and nauseating and hard and painful,

they can hear the song You have given us coming out heartily in the early dawn.

May the song You have given us to sing bring cheer to the listeners and glorify You.

When we are hidden in the dust and grime of the ordinary and the hard, may our song be strongly heard!