My Teacher

My morning routine has changed recently.  Now, immediately after I wake up I roll out of bed, dawn my swim trunks and head off to the Jacuzzi.  This is not simply a way to wake up slowly; it is an opportunity to begin my day with stillness.

In all actuality, I head off to the Jacuzzi to learn and practice how to float.  I do not mean literally floating, though I have tried it.  I am talking about teaching my heart to float, learning to allow the current of God leading to direct my day and not my own effort.  I spend the time soaking in the warm water praying and yielding my heart to God.  I am practicing what it is to trust Him, to rest in Him and float.  This is not as easy as it sounds to learn and practice, but recently I have had a new teacher.

The last few mornings a hummingbird has come into the yard right after I begin this daily ritual.  In fact, his appearance has become something of a ritual itself.  Sitting there watching that bird, especially with my glasses off, it seems as though he is simply standing still, in mid air with no effort at all, but this is not the case.  A hummingbird, as it floats there, is actually a flurry of activity.  Depending on the size of the bird, it can beat its wings anywhere from 12 to 100 times per second.  Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute.



To watch the bird flit around the yard you would think it never stops, but this is not the case.  Hummingbirds are capable of slowing down their metabolism at night, or any other time food is not readily available.  They can dramatically reduce their breathing and hearts rates during these times of needed rest.  They can go from 1,260 beats per minute to 50 to 180.  In short, a hummingbird knows how to rest.

The result of this ability to rest is that they live quite long lives when compared to other organisms with such rapid metabolisms, and birds of similar sizes.  Among other North American birds, the normal life span is 3 to 5 years.  The humming bird can live up to a decade.  Their life is twice as long, because of their ability to rest when it is appropriate to do so.

This pattern of rest and activity is something I must continue to learn if I hope to mirror the longevity and effectiveness of my new friend.  His example has given me great encouragement that my time in the Jacuzzi is well spent, learning to float, calming my heart in prayer, and learning rest.  From this place of rest, I will develop the capacity to live out the life God has entrusted to me and the trust to allow myself to be guided by His will.

So tomorrow, you will find me rolling out of bed and practicing how to float.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30