Working from home has its fair share of perks. Jammies all day and a fully stocked ‘breakroom’ are just a few – not to mention the commute.

But one of my favorite things is having my desk near the window which overlooks my backyard. The view is spectacular. We sit on a hill and overlook our community.

We also have a variety of bird feeders, which draws in quite a diverse crowd. Add in a bird bath and voila! Birdie paradise for all.

Putting things off is an art form of mine. So it was no surprise when our bird feeders sat empty and the bath was bone dry. Not for a few days mind you – any amateur can manage that. Try a few weeks (okay okay – months).

The overall view was still lovely, but it was morbidly still. Our backyard paradise had turned into a ghost town. No sweet songs. No magnificent hummingbirds inches from my window, pausing long enough for me to take in their beauty as they dined on our offerings.

With a rush of inspiration, off to their rescue I came. No birdie starves on my watch. After filling all of the feeders and scrubbing the mold out of the birdbath (eew), I awaited my reward. These sweet innocents would hunger no more thanks to me.

Back they came, increasing in number as word of my generosity spread.

What didn’t arrive were the malnourished fledglings I was expecting. Instead, my yard was filled with thriving, robust fine-feathered friends.

Turns out they didn’t need me after all.

As I sat nursing my wounded pride, I could feel the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit saying, “lesson time!”

When God asks us to feed His sheep (or birds), He isn’t asking because He needs us. They are HIS sheep. He is their ultimate provider. What God is inviting us into is participation in the process.

When I neglected to feed the birds, God fed them another way. He didn’t need me at all.

When I chose to feed the birds myself, I had the amazing privilege of sharing in the joys of the process. My back yard was magically wakened, once again teeming with life.

The songs returned. The parade of birds danced outside my window. The bath was again lined rim-to-rim with those eager for a dip.

And I was there to enjoy all of it.