The Hoopoe of Hope

Last night my son got the stomach flu. He was throwing up all night, only he's not so good at making it to the toilet. This morning I had a lot of laundry and cleaning up to do. Yuck.

I was hanging his bedding on the clothesline to dry, and as I shook out his pillowcase, a freshly-laundered barf chunk that had stuck to the pillowcase flew off and stuck to my face.

Enter the BIG BLACK GRUMPY cloud over my head (mind you I was doing all of this right after my first cup of coffee; not a fun way to wake up). But as I stomped back into the house, I turned and looked across my yard, and there in the grass was an African hoopoe, one of my favourite birds (I call it the Mohawk Bird).

I suddenly realised I don't have much to complain about. I got a glimpse of one of God's creatures, my son was well this morning, I had food in my tummy (and coffee!), my family loves me... how easily I let the minor irritants of the day cloud my mood!

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15