Singing His Heart Out

From Rev. Jay Barry
January 2, 2013

Last summer something unforgettable happened during a trip Barbara and I took out West. We were visiting “Old Mission Santa Barbara” on the California coastline. It is a magnificent but humble parish church that is still in use after it’s founding in 1798.

We walked in the serene inner courtyard surrounding the patio. Flanked by columns and arches, shadowed adobe walls and flowers, we heard a bird singing very close by. Drawn by the sound, we discovered, to our amazement, that this little creature was perched on a wooden rail within an arms reach of us. As we stood still and fixed our gaze upon him, he continued singing on and on. He did not stop or fly away even though a crowd was gathering around.

He was smaller than my hand, with a robin like appearance. His chest was puffing out as he sang and sang, embellishing his phrases with a little gesture of his head and beak. He was happy, singing his heart out, singing for joy!

This little one made me ponder the reasons why there is an absence of joy in parts of our lives. Indeed, there are things that occur on our journey through life that are unhappy. Our little bird is in the order of creation, as we are taught from the Heavenly Doctrines. He sings from the essence of Divine order in a lovely natural form that the Lord has especially designed for him. We are not born in Divine order, but come into it through regeneration. For that we need a teaching, which will show us how. Hence, the Word and the Lord within it guiding us to fulfillment.

Differences aside, if this precious little member of creation can express his joy, why cannot I? Why shouldn’t I? All of us have many reasons to sing for joy. The world is as full of wonder, happiness and joy as it is with trouble, and the evidence of this is everywhere, as it was on the day Barbara and I witnessed this little concert.

I would like to carry this into the New Year: Why not sing my heart out each day, like that little bird, and affirm joy? I would like to try.

Happy New Year everyone