That Personalized Touch

As I write this, I'm watching Mama Robin sit on her second clutch of eggs this summer. Her fussing over these eggs reminds me of my dad's fussing over those hundreds of goose eggs in the hatchery in our farmhouse basement.

Each day, he'd check the incubator temperature, humidity, and power supply. Daily, he'd rotate every wire tray of eggs by turning a crank. He'd moisten the eggs using a spray bottle. My Dad's methods made it possible for him to care for hundreds of eggs at once.

Yet, in spite of all his "fussing", he just didn't have Mama Robin's personal touch. I never saw Dad lean over the trays to give each egg a tender peck. Nor did he ever cluck sweet chants over them. He never brooded over them so closely that they could sense his heartbeat. He deserted them most of the day. In truth, he was a distant manager of an efficient operation.

Thankfully, this is not God's method. Mama Robin better illustrates God's personalized touch.

Zephaniah 3:17 – For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (NLT)

One way that Mama Robin helps me appreciate God's personalized touch is through her attention to her eggs. They all look alike. Yet, with her beak, she nudges each egg, pushes it around, and turns it over. Her work looks inefficient and arbitrary. Yet, I'm sure that Mama Robin instinctively senses the unique life forming inside each shell.

That reminds me of the life of Christ forming within every believer's heart. I'm referring to our new life "hidden with Christ in God". (Colossians 3:3 NLT)

On the outside, we are indistinguishable from those around. But hidden within, God's secret transforming work goes on; faith grows stronger; spiritual freedom deepens. At times, we feel as if we're getting pushed around by life. But it's not so! For God's touch is personalized and purposeful:

Psalm 37:23 – The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (NLT)

Occasionally, I notice Mama Robin tilting her head as if listening intently to her eggs. This reminds me of the times that I'd hold a goose egg against my ear and hear tiny peeping sounds within. I'd also feel the bird's beak pecking away inside the shell. That gosling would soon be strong enough to burst through the shell and emerge into a new world.

Those eggs remind me of our pilgrim journey on earth. There's a hidden life forming within through the personalized touch of God's Spirit. He's preparing us ultimately to burst through the confining shell of this perishable earthly tent, to emerge into an entirely new world: God's glory in eternity. In the meantime, let us look forward to that with great anticipation!

Prayer: Lord, whenever we feel insignificant and caught up in the impersonal management of humanity, open our eyes to see how You are personally at work in our lives, individually preparing us to emerge in glory. Amen.