When I lived in Missouri I worked as an editor for a newspaper called the Pleasant Hill Times. My friend Connie bought the newspaper and asked me to help her out, so I did for about 9 months as she was launching this new endeavor. While doing that, I met a couple that owned a bird rehab sanctuary. They had owls, peacocks, parrots, finches, horses, chickens, cats, all the things. It was a mini zoo in the city called Pleasant Hill, MO.

One day I was at her house to take some pictures and do an interview of her and her husband to highlight them in the paper, as I was doing a series about some of the incredible people who lived in that small town. While there she let me hold an owl, and at one point there were multiple macaws on my shoulder. I remember her telling me we needed to move slowly or it would spook these large gorgeous birds.

I remembered this time in my life as I was reading Matthew 3:16 today, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.” One thing I have learned is that the spirit of God is not in a hurry. He is never darting here and there as though needing to rush in any way. There is a rhythm to the Holy Spirit’s movement.

In a culture that is continually in a hurry, I remember the instructions of that woman in the bird sanctuary that told me not to make any swift moves or it would spook the bird. If we want the Holy Spirit to rest on us, we must not be in such a hurry. God is not anxious, He is not worried, He is not running late, He is not going to miss anything and neither will we if we let the dove rest on us and we don’t try to rush here and there. Shalom my friends, God never misses anything, ever!