Look for the doves...

The other morning at my kitchen table was an unusual site...there was 12 doves right out front...yes I counted them.   I don't remember ever seeing that many doves together...and I just thought of the dove as being a bird of LOVE!   I walked away and when I returned there were three doves.   Then this morning out there was one lone dove where there had been many.  

The other day while there were that group of doves, there were also those dang black birds...They just seem to glare at you...and just "get in my space" if you know what I mean...Anyway back to the doves...when I first seen them and I seen the 12, I thought of the twelve apostles...on the three I thought hmmm three maybe the Trinity--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...but then today I went on my walk...and the birds came to mind.  I thought of how I love reading the parables in the Bible.   For a visual like myself...I like stories to understand points...I NEED PICTURES!!   I think that is why God teaches me with things such as birds, rocks, and the like...

But it hit me so clear today...I thought of the twelve and I thought of twelve months...the seasons...time...but then I thought of the three doves my favorite chapter came to mind--1 Corinthians 13--Faith, Hope, and Love!   And then this morning...and the greatest of these is LOVE!    The one lone dove!

And I had thought of those around me that are going through hard times.   Those who are fighting cancer, Alzheimer's, loss of loved ones, fear of losing loved ones, loss of jobs or just looking for jobs, looking for that someone, problems with children, problems with parents...you know the BLACK BIRDS!!    And I prayed that those who are being overwhelmed with these "black birds" might actually see some doves.  

Along my walk are many trees...some I notice...some I pass by without much thought.  However, the other day this tree had two doves in it...and the doves made me think of my marriage...but the tree for some reason it made me think Joshua tree...I thought of a couple of Josh's and I prayed for them.  But I decided to Google Joshua tree...and the one of course that caught my attention was U2 Joshua Tree...well the first song that came up which was on the Joshua Tree album was "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"...and I know there are many who are searching...we all search...but this song reminded me of the version from Rattle and Hum...the one my kids still know by heart who sings which part...this was one of the flying to I mean driving to school songs...but I still love this song and this version...May you find the One we are all looking for...

And so today I wish that you find LOVE that you see the doves instead of the black birds...I leave you with my favorite...

1 Corinthians 13

The Greatest Gift

 ¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

lyp