I cherish and need time alone. Solo suits me fine, especially when life overwhelms and all available energy to engage has dissipated. It recharges my failing batteries to be plugged in to God, my books and silence. Aaahh…
Except that silence is rarely, if ever, achievable, is it? Because we live in a world addicted to 24/7 activity and noise. Though if we can pause for a while, then we might hear other sounds that speak to us instead of rush and hurry.
Our own drumming heartbeat reminds us we are alive. Our own breath signals a need to slow and relax. Our ears, when attuned to silence, will pick up the slightest sound: leaves dancing, wind in the trees, rumbles from appliances, dogs barking or a solo song from a blackbird outside our home.
And when we listen to these things they speak volumes to us, revealing how we might love and crave our solo moments but we are all created for connection, for community and relationship with others, especially with God.
Solo
A solo blackbird sings into morning mistiness, his tune
dedicated to heaven’s breath and the unadulterated
joy of being alive, the sheer exultation of existence
while I sit inside a house, quietly listening, wanting
to tune my own heart to the eternal melody I can
hear heralding through an open window that is near
Yet somehow, something heavy seems to chain
me here to earth, something sitting on my soul
that presses me low, pushing me into isolation
despite the fact I am rarely alone, though often
feel as though I am, because this world is vastly
full, crammed with people, like tiny little islands
Our very individuality makes connectivity crackle
with defensiveness, and our need to curl away from
hurt and pain only makes us more vulnerable and
subject to the same, because God has created us
for togetherness, for knowing joy, hope, peace and love,
for relationship and companionship and soul friends
What we need is a holy seed to germinate and take
root within our hearts, a glimmer of grace to open
up our bounded souls, and let the light of God’s
presence permeate every part as it fills and floods
with heat and love, more than enough to set our
cold souls on fire and cause a thaw in our desires
Though alone in solo song, blackbird sings out first spring
to others, whether sister, brother or lovers, or her own
soul companions, who hear the sound as sweet music
to their ears and respond in kind with answering swift
harmony of voice and heart and mind, just as we are
created to do for one another, as God has designed
©joylenton
“Your love, GOD, is my song, and I’ll sing it!” – Psalm 89:1 ~The Message
As you relax and listen to the video clip below may it cause you to be thankful for the sweet sound of birdsong that is music to God’s ears, and usually to ours as well! 🙂
Poetry Joy 
Reblogged this on Pastor Michael Moore's Blog and commented:
Pause and Listen… thank you, Joy, for this beautiful reminder ❤️
You’re welcome, Michael! It really does feed our souls to do those things. I am loving the cheerful blackbird singing outside my window. His song reminds me life is worth celebrating and God deserves our heartfelt praise. Thanks for sharing this with your readers. Bless you, Brother! 💜
My Mother-in-Law loved to sit on her back deck and listen to the birds. Being mobility limited she wasn’t able to get around very well. She loved her birds. My Mom also used to love listening to and watching the birds out of the den window. Her favorites were Cardinals and Robins. I imagine both of them now together and meeting for the first time in Heaven comparing bird notes and enjoying their singing together!
Michael, I’m so glad you can remember these happy times your Mother-in-law enjoyed and envision her doing the same in Heaven. It made me smile because one of our daughters-in-law has a cheeky robin who keeps her company as she is doing the gardening! Sadly, we don’t have cardinals here but I am grateful for the songsters who do appear on these shores.
I think having physical restrictions that make it harder to getting out and about actually increase our awareness and appreciation of the beauty on our doorstep. It certainly works that way for me! 😊💜
Oh and it definitely worked for Jeanne ❤️❤️
Oh good, God rest her soul. Maybe God gives us special grace to live well with our limitations. In appreciating small mercies we are enabled to develop an attitude of gratitude instead of resentment and bitterness. 😊💜
Indeed ❤️
Dear Joy, Oh your words and the sweet video you shared here came at just the right time for me today! When spring feels so long in coming, it’s easy to think I should just cover up and tough it out. But in the pausing and listening, there are grace-gifts from God just waiting to be found! And He truly does bring His encouragement to us then, just as you so beautifully did for me this morning, when my day had been hushed and stilled. Thank you for sharing from your heart! Blessings, love and hugs to you, dear friend! xo
Dear Bettie, that’s so good to hear! Spring showed her face here for a few days but winter didn’t like it and has returned with a vengeance this weekend. Brrr… ❄🌬
We may have to dig deeper to discover the treasures hidden in darkness but they do reveal themselves to hearts set on seeing God’s hand at work. Thinking of you as you recover from the steroid injection. May relief be swift and longlasting! Blessings, love and hugs to you, precious friend. xo 💜
Do the birds sing louder in the spring or is it just me? Like you, I crave silence. But I don’t know that I would want to give up the birdsong. Enjoyed your words today, sweet friend! Blessings on your weekend.
June, I do believe you might be on to something! It seems that way for me too. Or maybe we are weary of winter and our eager ears prick up at the slightest suggestion of spring arriving? Whatever the cause, we can be thankful we hear and appreciate it! I have an unusual quirk with the tinnitus I experience, as it can often sound like a flock of noisy birds. Therefore a specific, continuous, singular song gets my attention quicker than before. May your weekend be blessed with rest, peace and joy, dear friend! xo 💜