Just a sip

The breeze is nearly still as I sit out on the porch trying to calm a fussing baby. The air is fragrant with dampness and spring flowers. The quiet, dusk sounds of our neighborhood are drowned out by the whimpers and cries of our youngest as I try to soothe him. The notes of the windchimes occasionally poke through and make themselves known.

Then I hear it. The soft "zhhhhhhhhh" of a hummingbird joining me. Its jagged, yet deliberate, flight toward the hanging feeder catches my eye and I watch it as it approaches for a drink.

Sip, sip, sip.

Then, with another "zhhhhhhhhh", it darts away into the fading light of the day.

We can see them from our living room as they come periodically throughout the day. They never stay longer than a few seconds- just long enough to take a sip of nourishment- and are soon on their way again. For some reason they bring me peace. Their tiny bodies are so perfect, the blur of their wings mesmerizes me, their graceful hovering movement is unique. For me, God is very present in the hummingbird.

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Their habit of coming briefly just for a sip reminds me that I, too, can take my sips at the fountain bit by bit. I cannot, in this season of my life, find time for a long leisurely visit in my hectic day. But I have moments. Moments of activity I perform by rote. Moments of blessing with my children. Moments of daily routine. All these are time enough for a sip.

Will I remember, as do the hummingbirds, where I can find the nourishment, the Living Water? They don't seem to get lost. Their short visits to our porch are second nature, punctuating their days, keeping them filled and never thirsty. How many times do I find myself at the end of my rope, when all I really need to keep my grip is a simple and habitual sip, sip, sip?

How do I get to the place of habit that I long to find?

Watch the hummingbird. It's my reminder to you...

Sip...sip...sip...


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