I’ve washed a lot of dishes in my life, and chances are my future will include many, many more hours of standing in front of my kitchen sink. Do I enjoy dishwashing? I don’t stop to think about it. It needs to be done, so I do it.

My Nanny, Lillie Reno, whose memory I still cherish, once told me that putting a bird

bath in front of your kitchen window is therapy. So I did.

I thought about Nanny a few days ago as I stood before

my sink and watched a bird land on the bird bath. This

was probably the most determined of the flock for she

wasn’t deterred by what looked like a dry bird bath. She persistently poked her beak beneath the dead leaves that

the silver maple tree had shed, finding something that I

couldn’t see. Water lay under the leaves, and she was not going to fly off until she had her fill.

Something about watching the

activity in the bird bath made me forget my worries of the future, complaints about the present and frustration over nonstick pans that do not quite live up to their name. I stopped washing dishes and simply allowed my mind to relax

and enjoy nature’s entertainment.

Was my Nanny right? Is

that therapy? If therapy can

be defined as an activity that causes the body or mind to return to a state where it operates properly, then pausing to watch that bird was indeed therapeutic.

In Luke 12:24-25 Jesus said, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

I have faith in God. I’ve experienced His health, provision, and direction in abundance, so I really get aggravated with myself when I allow fear to cover up the faith that I know is there. The good news is that I’m really determined to poke beneath the negative thoughts until I tap into that life-giving faith and trust in the One Who cannot fail.

If God can take care of that bird outside of my window, surely He can take care of me. And you.

Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.