Barred Owl

For months, in the morning and in the evening, we could hear an owl hooting. It had such a distinct sound. Sometimes I would pause what I was doing and go outside to look for the owl; however, when we first started hearing it, the trees were still covered in a thick layer of green leaves. I was able to use the Merlin app and capture the sound, discovering that it was a Barred Owl, but I could never spot it.

Every day, I would think maybe today is the day. Then one afternoon in early December, I was in the living room with my son. We were watching a movie, and he said, “Look! It’s the owl!”

Sure enough, sitting on the fence in our backyard was this majestic creature. It had big black eyes that looked like shimmering beads and a little yellow diamond shaped nose. Its feathers were black, brown, and white, and it looked so regal sitting on its perch. The sun was shining making its feathers shimmer and it seemed so content.

I gasped. I couldn’t believe how close I was to this owl I had been longing to meet. I slowly got out of my chair, turned on the camera on my phone, and crept to the back door. I did not want to move too fast and scare it away. I felt for sure it was looking straight at me. I took a picture through the door, but I wanted to get closer.

I opened the back door, ever so slowly, and crept out onto the porch. The owl was watching me closely, but seemed content to remain where it was, knowing I wasn’t a threat. I did wonder what would happen if it decided to fly in through the now open door, but I was willing to take that risk.

As I stood on the porch, I marveled at this creature. I watched as it spun its head around, examining its surroundings, and then nuzzled its head into its feathers and looked up and down. It was slow and steady, not rushing away, happy for me to have these moments of awe and wonder.

Even now, as I write this, tears spring to my eyes. It felt like a profound gift from God. I had been longing to see this owl, to get a glimpse of it in the trees, and instead it came and perched itself on our fence just yards from our back door. It felt like a quiet reminder that God is near, knows us deeply, and sometimes surprises us in a way we didn’t even imagine.

That owl sat peacefully on our fence for 15 minutes, until some blue jays came around and started messing with it. The blue jays were dive bombing the owl and trying to nip at its feathers. I felt so mad at those blue jays. I literally said, “Hey! Leave the owl alone!” But the owl didn’t allow the blue jays to bother it. The owl used its wings and flew away.

At times, I find myself envious of the owl, able to fly away when annoyances pester it. Sometimes I think, wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to get away from all of the hard things - to relocate myself to a higher perch, a quieter space, to continual safety.

And while that is not reality, I am deeply thankful to be on this journey with Jesus.

I am reminded that at times Jesus calms the wind and the waves, but I’m also reminded that when he doesn’t, he holds me steady as we traverse them. Regardless of whether the journey is smooth sailing or extra bumpy, I know that I am never alone because Jesus is with me and I can trust him. 


~ Melissa