It’s rare that we get a bird’s eye view of anything, but occasionally it can be a real treat.  For example, I love looking out the window of an airplane and seeing the landscape from a perspective I don’t usually see.  On Father’s Day, while taking a short boat ride on the Potomac, we had the rare opportunity to have a bird’s eye view of an osprey nest.

It was nothing short of amazing.  There was a parent bird with a fledgling sitting in their finely constructed nest atop a piling at the pier.  From the boat we could look right down into the nest and see the parent bringing fish for lunch for his young one.  We could see the intricately woven branches, twigs, and bits of straw and derbies that made up the nest.  On one edge, connected between bits of branch and twigs, was a delicate, lacy spider’s web that was blowing in the breeze.  Never before had I peered so closely into the dwelling of another creature.

This bird’s eye view provided me with many moments of reflection over the next few days.  I began to think about standing back and taking a bird’s eye view of my life and my dwelling.  I began to think about what we would see if we looked at ourselves from that perspective.  Would we see ourselves as being caring and loving toward another, or simply taking the action because we wanted something in return?  Would we see ourselves with only the things we need to live comfortably, or hording more than we need for no good reason?  Would we be pleased to see our taste in the magazines on our coffee table, or the websites we visit, or wish no one knew we liked to read that stuff?  Would we see ourselves pausing long enough to truly enjoy a moment of grace, or see ourselves rushing through the day simply to get to the end of it without more complications?

What would we look like from a bird’s eye view?  Such a thoughtful examination of our lives and our choices can be the source of grace for many moments.