You Don't Control the Birds

There is an episode of The Simpsons, where Lisa, good old introverted Lisa, is getting ready to introduce herself to some cool kids she sees hanging out on the beach.  As she tries to be equally cool in approaching them, she is interrupted by a seagull that angrily squawks and flies almost right at her, ruining the moment.

“Okay, okay, okay, not your fault, it’s a bird thing,” Lisa says, trying to calm herself down.  “You don’t control the birds.  You will someday, but not now.”

I love so many things about this scene.  I can relate to Lisa’s fear, but also her desire to rise above it.  I can relate to all the random little things, like a squawking, flying bird, that can disrupt my day.  And I also smile when Lisa commits to someday controlling the birds.  She’s a little scientist and I absolutely believe she’ll be able to do what she says.

But life is full of distractions, isn’t it?

Like Lisa’s ill-timed seagull, there seem to be countless, inconsequential, random events happening every day that, for whatever reason, haunt us.  We cannot let them go.

Think about it this way.  How often has something as simple as oversleeping ruined your whole day?

Why can’t I let this go? I often wonder throughout the day.

So, my delivery from Amazon gets here in three days instead of two.

Why is this such a big deal to me?

Frequently, the things that bother me the most are the things that I have zero control over, but somehow think I should—like Sir Stomps-A-Lot who lives in the condo above me.

I hate feeling helpless.

I hate feeling like I’m not in control.

I’m with Lisa.  I may not control the birds, but I want to and, if I have my way, I will one day.

And yet, it is the time I spend with birds, the literal, not the figurative kind, that reminds me that it’s okay not to be in control, that randomness is part of life and that the surprise of randomness is one of the most beautiful things about life.

The unpredictability of the world makes the world interesting.  It can be scary, yes, but also funny and thrilling and awe-inspiring. 

Even though the wildlife at the Wetlands can be very predictable, especially where feeding times are concerned, it also has those unpredictable moments, the Ring-necked Duck and her reflection, sitting perfectly centered among concentric ripples of water,

the Great Blue Heron nest that I suddenly stop for and see, for the first time, new babies calling out to be fed,

the Bald Eagle landing on the road behind me, feasting on a coot—a Bald Eagle that I never would have noticed if I hadn’t happened to look in my rearview mirror at just that exact second.

I call myself the accidental photographer.

I’m not someone who sits on the side of the road with my camera on a tripod, waiting for that moment.

I prefer to stumble on my moments.

I prefer to let those moments drift my way as if each moment were a seedling of wonder, nestled in the palm of God’s hand and carried away on a gentle breeze.

So, even though I may wish, like Lisa Simpson, for greater control over the random events of my day, I can, at the same time, appreciate the beauty that happens in randomness.

And, especially, when I am in nature, I can let go and allow God, the Divine Artist, to paint His glorious picture, free from comment.