MISSING THE SPARROW'S PERCH

For those who've been wondering what the sparrow's perch is, it is the window sill in my office at the church. I come to the office early to pray(Like 5:30 in the morning early), read a few chapters in the Word, write lessons for our men's study group, and write these blogs. It is a quiet place except for the occasional sparrow that perches on the sill. Their playful antics, and complete dependence upon the provision of the Lord have enthralled me numerous times. I especially enjoy it when there is standing water on the flat roof just below my window. They cavort and carry on while splashing around in the puddles. Over the last five or six weeks, work has kept me at home in the morning, and I can feel the affect on my spirit. I miss the sparrow's perch.

I believe there are special places, and even special furniture where you can get comfortable with the Lord and enjoy His presence better than any other place. Such is the case for me at the church office.

I was trying to explain what the sparrow's perch is to a good friend the other day, and they couldn't wrap their head around it. “Anywhere we are, there the Lord is also.” He said. “The Presence of God is in you. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

“Yes, but I feel him stronger, and more clearly in my church office.” I explained. “Especially when the window is open, and I can hear the sparrows chirping above the low thrum of city traffic.” I could tell that my explanation was going nowhere. Try as hard as I might, he wasn't going to understand how important the sparrow's perch is to me. There was no way he was going to understand how much I needed that time in the presence of God.

One of the things I've noticed in my walk with the Lord, is that my attitude is directly affected by how much time I spend in the presence of God. The Presence is more than a specific time of bible study, prayer, or meditation. A matter of fact, I experience different levels of the presence depending upon how I've approached the Lord during the morning. Sometimes, I forget who He is, and I get entirely too familiar. By familiar, I'm not talking about climbing up in His lap and letting him love on me. I'm talking about forgetting that He is the creator of heaven and earth, and becoming presumptuous. You, know, that place of familiarity where you forget your place, and do or say things that presume upon the love of the other person. I mean, even as much as I love my earthly father, there is a level of respect I afford him. It would be presumptuous of me to move into his home, eat his food, and drive his vehicles without his approval. Sadly, I do that with God. Sometimes I presume to know what to do throughout the day, just because I've done it before. I'll pray earnestly, but with no affect because he wanted me to sit still and be quiet. Other times, I get busy reading, and forget to pray. Other times I'll bull up and do what I want to do, because it makes me feel good to do it.

To give you an example, I want to brag on my grandson Elijah for a moment.

Elijah is a typical ten year old boy. He is headstrong, loves fun, and enjoys playing. When he comes to visit, we have a fantastic time playing video games. Of course he knows how to turn on the game console, the TV, and the sound system. We have hours of fun, and he enjoys beating me at every game we play. The other day, we finished playing all the Halo games in my collection (I have them all) and I suggested another game title. He shook his head and said his Dad told him he couldn't play that game. At that moment, Elijah was ten feet tall in my book. I've also told him he can't play any games on my console while I'm away at work. He has never broken that rule, and I admire him for it. I'm more willing to do things for him simply because he is respectful of my wishes. I don't love him any more or less than my other grandchildren for his obedience, but I like him a lot because he respects me.

I think God is the same way.

When we honor him, and don't presume upon his nature, I believe Jesus desires to be with us more. When we reverence the Presence of God, I believe he moves in a little closer and leans over toward us. I think he likes us more when we like to be with him, and he respects us more when we honor him.

Relationship is its own reward.

The sparrow's perch is a place of reverence for me, It is a reminder to be still and listen. It is a place of warmth and joy. Many of the sweetest things I've learned at the feet of Jesus, have been learned in that special place. In another week, I'll return to my old schedule and once more open the window to the sparrow's perch. Hopefully, the Presence of God will be there as He always has.