School is Never Out -- Instruction is All Around!

This little guy showed-up outside my apartment window yesterday morning as I was talking on the phone with Sandy.  He's a "Yellow-rumped Flycatcher."  Pretty cool! (I didn't take this picture, but I'm hoping to capture a few photo's in the near future). He has quite a song to sing, too!  His appearance reminded me that I need to get a bird feeder.  As I've looked for one at shops and on-line, though, I've begun to realize that folks don't seem to feed birds around here.

I guess they think that the birds do pretty well for themselves and there is just not much "extra" seed lying about to give over to the birds.  And yet, these little beautiful creatures continue to thrive even though "they sow not, nor gather into barns."  Seeing this beauty reminded me also of the fact that all that we encounter in each day is teaching us.  Jesus exhorts us in his Sermon on the Mount to "consider the birds of the air and the flowers of the field."

The reality of on-going instruction for the one who is aware was also brought home to me recently through a brief passage in Thich Nhat Hanh's little book, Being Peace. He writes:  "We can learn from everything that is around, that is in us.  Even if we are not at a meditation center [or on a retreat or even in a classroom] we can still practice at home because all around us the teaching is present.  Everything is preaching . . . each pebble, each leaf, each flower is preaching . . . (36).

King David said it this way: "The heavens keep telling the wonders of God and the skies declare what he has done.  Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don't speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice.  Yet, their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world." (Psalm 19:1-4a, CEV).  So, give a listen and keep learning.  School is never out.  Instruction is all around you right now where you are.