Chimney Swifts

When my family and I first arrived to the house we now live in, we were thrilled about everything except for one curious little thing: the strange squeaking sounds coming from the chimney. We considered bats and then- worse- mice or rats. But after a little bit of googling and spying from the backyard at sunset, we resolved the mystery. We share our house with a flock of chimney swifts- tiny cigar-shaped birds that fly all day catching insects and then come home to the nests they've built in chimney walls. I suppose some people- particularly those who like to make use of their chimney- would have been bothered by this fact. But I, for one, was fascinated. I've always had a sort of affinity for birds of almost every kind (those giant black crows scare everyone, okay), and to be literally living in the same house with them seemed like the coolest thing. We've been here for years now, and sometimes I forget they're even here. I go about my daily life working and commuting and studying, and they go about theirs- flying and eating insects and whatever else chimney swifts do. But every now and then, when I let a night drift away in the loneliness of our living room- I hear them again. Those lovely little chirps as they nestle into their tiny wooden homes. Sometimes when I get home around twilight, I see them circling the chimney in a graceful dance before they swoop in to turn in for the night. And they are always a gentle reminder of God's grace over my life. Of how just as He has kept this little flock safe in this chimney for so long- so He will keep me. They remind me of what really matters. That life is about more than stress and worries and deadlines. Sometimes life is just about stillness, about being who you were created to be, belonging where you were meant to belong. That little flock of chimney swifts will probably outlast me in this house. I will move on and see the world and become someone new, and they will go on unaware of any of it. But I hope that I always remember the tiny birds nestled in the center of my home. I hope they always remind me of the God who holds me so gently, no matter how small or oblivious to His care I am.

This is what the little swifts look like :)

#christian #2015