Look At The Birds: Writing Inspired by Birdwatching

I love birds. I have for as long as I can remember. But in the past few years, I became a serious birdwatcher. There are a few ways to tell how passionate someone is about birdwatching, and I check off all the main criteria:

1. I say “birding” and “birder” more than “birdwatching” and “birdwatcher.”
2. I carry binoculars and cameras almost everywhere I go.
3. The most-used apps on my phones are bird-related (hi, eBird!).
4. Birds dominate the subjects of my photography and art.
5. When going on vacation, I research the birds in the area.
6. I keep a life list of all the species of birds I have seen.
7. People come to me with all their bird-related stories and questions and often ask for bird identification help.

“Look at the birds of the air,” Jesus says in Matthew 6:26, one of the most famous and loved passages in the Bible. Birds are used as powerful symbols and reminders of God’s love throughout the Bible. They remind us of God’s protection (Psalm 91:4), His provision (Luke 12:24), and His care for us (Matthew 10:29-31).

Since we often write out of our own experiences, it’s not surprising that I draw a lot from my love of birds in my writing. And birdwatching has taught me a lot about following Jesus.

My Keys for Kids short story “A Wren In The Sparrows” is about two birdwatchers learning about standing up for what’s right instead of going along with the crowd. This is the first story I’ve ever written for Keys for Kids, and it’s an especially meaningful publication for me: growing up, I read Keys for Kids every night with my family. It’s so incredible that now I have the opportunity to share my story with a new generation of readers!

You can read “A Wren In The Sparrows” in Keys for Kids: July August September 2021 on September 13, 2021.

In my Love Is Moving article “Look at the birds,” I share about my visits to an eagle’s nest and how birdwatching has taught me lessons about refocusing on God’s peace amid the chaos of the world.

You can read “Look at the birds” in Love Is Moving Issue 46, September/October 2021, or on loveismoving.ca: loveismoving.ca/2021/07/07/look-at-the-birds/.