When Doves Coo, When Roosters Crow

Having joined FaceBook recently, I became the recipient of one of the questionnaires that get passed around there. It’s a pleasant enough exercise to fill out for oneself. I enjoy reading the ones my friends have filled out, it helps one to know and understand them a little better, particularly friends that are distant and I have been out of touch with. The question that provoked my thoughts on this post was, “What is your favorite sound?”

I couldn’t just pick one. There are many I enjoy. This is not exhaustive and today is not the day to wax poetically about rain on a tin roof, the laughter of children or the sounds of the sea shore. I'm thinking about bird sounds today, as you probably guessed from the title.

When we first moved to Central Florida my parents chose a home in a subdivision that was quite wooded, this in itself was in contrast to most of the newer neighborhoods that they looked at. There were pine trees and old oaks in abundance. I remember falling asleep to the sounds of a Mourning dove cooing, though I had no idea at the time what kind of bird was soothing me. Which is ironic when I consider how many times I rocked out to a certain song, the lyrics saying, “Just like a white-winged dove, sings a song, sounds like…oooh, baby, oooh, said oooh.” How pleasant it was to fall asleep, or wake up with fresh air and the sounds of the doves wafting in on the breeze.

There are many doves around here. However, until recently I was not able to hear their gentle song because of the sounds of another bird: The noble rooster. Roosters seem to polarize, they are either loved or hated. They are most abundant in Key West, and less so here in the middle Keys, but their presence has been steady since we moved here about 10 months ago. (You can read more about Keys Roosters here, if you like.) I personally enjoy their crowing, though I will admit to threatening one particular fellow who begins his “sunrise” at 2:30 am, if he‘s in our yard while crowing! Most nights this doesn’t even bother me, but on sleepless nights, when I’m sick, or restless or grouchy, I have threatened to ring his neck and put him in my pot! The sound of a faraway rooster crowing is comforting; the sound of him right under your window is “alarming”. For now though, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about it since I have not heard the rooster for a solid week. Wonder what happened to him? I can guess…

The Nest

In the late spring of 2007 God sent a mama bird to nest in one of my hanging planter baskets. I was able to gently take the basket off the hook and observe the nest. This was for me, a direct answer to a prayer. Let me explain why.

Earlier in the spring a person from an online message board community of which I was then an active member, posted of a similar experience. (You can read "Kingdom Minded's" original post here.) I remember reading his story with interest. I thought and prayed, “God, that would be so cool! I wish something like that would happen to me.” Imagine my surprise when it did - and only a short time later!

The children and I watched the light brown, speckled eggs, checking on them nearly every day. There were four of them. We observed them as they hatched and grew, the mama bird busily bringing her hatchings food. I suspect that they were house swallows, but I can’t be sure. Then one day she taught the four baby birds to fly in our backyard. In one afternoon, they went from shed to swing-set, patio table to porch rail, and back over their practice circuit again - and then they were all gone. It was a delightful and encouraging experience for our family.

At that time I was really, really busy and concerned about some things regarding our living arrangements. The Lord brought to my mind those Bible verses on birds and His Providential Care. We are not wealthy by the world’s standards, we don’t most of the latest and most popular things (and when we do they are gifts from relatives), but I felt so rich, that this little bird family had taken shelter under our porch roof, and the simple yet profound truths they taught me. This really, really blessed me, it literally stopped me in my busy tracks and reminded of all the little things that were important. It also made me feel very loved and cared for by my Heavenly Father. To have a prayer like that answered so specifically and quickly was a miracle for me. Now, I have witnessed God working miracles and healings, I know He does. But for Him to answer a “little prayer” I mumbled hastily and breathlessly about something that was not a big deal, or essential, well, it really reminded me of how a Daddy loves His child.