A Dove in Our Backyard

The weirdest thing just happened. I went outside to check on my husband, Nate, who was burning vines in our backyard (don't ask ;). Anyway, we noticed that there was a white dove stuck underneath our deck. I tried to look for an opening to help it escape. When I found an opening, the dove also found it about the same time and walked out, then flew up onto our fence. I noticed that it had a blue tag around it's left leg, so I assume it belonged to someone. Nate and I tried to coax the bird to us but it just stared at us the closer we got. It was so white--so pure and beautiful, with striking dark eyes. It seemed strange to see it in the wild.

Finally it made its way to the top of the roof (I don't think it could fly very far). Nate and I were on opposite sides of the house, coaxing it to come down. Finally I got impatient and went inside. Nate said that the bird flew down on my side. But when we went to look, the bird was gone. It was like it just vanished. We searched everywhere in the front and also looked for the bird at the neighbor's yards.

Normally I wouldn't give this incident a second thought, but having become a bit more spiritually attune lately, I had a thought that this symbol may not have been an accident. I know it is not uncommon for birds to be connected with the spiritual. I looked up what doves represent and this is what I found courtesy of Squidoo:

"The Dove universally symbolizes innocence, gentleness, faith, marital affection, peace and constancy.

The deepest kind of Peace and Faith is symbolized by the Dove. It's image stills our worried and troubled thoughts, and shows us how to find renewal in the silence of our minds. In such moments of stillness, we are able to appreciate the simple blessings that go unnoticed in the chaos that surrounds us each day.

The Sacred Dove serves as a gentle reminder that there is always hope, new possibilities and miracles waiting, just around the corner..."

I'm unsure what to make of the experience, but I think I will just entertain the thought that it may have been a word of encouragement from the other side. ^^ And if that's not what it is, who cares! It will bless myself to think such a way :)

Your Turn to Share!

Hi guys, I am in the process of gathering articles from various people about their "journeys in the dark." This section of the blog will feature your stories about dark times in your life or issues you've struggled with and what you have learned from it. If you have something you would like to share, just write an article and send it to me at crewjo@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can make a youtube video and I will embed it in the blog. Also, if you are able to send a photo of you to go along with your article, that would be great--so we can see who we are reading about. Do let me know if you would rather it be anonymous.

It doesn't have to be a grand story or some huge deal...just how your difficulty affected you at the time, practical and spiritual things you may have learned and maybe how you will think a little differently should a similar situation reappear. Those are just some ideas. Also if you have anything else you would like to share, please feel free to send those over as well! For instance, a friend of mine is writing an article about interpreting your dreams--focusing on the less concrete ways God speaks to us. This is one of her gifts. Many of you have particular insight into a certain topic that we could all benefit from. So this is one opportunity to share the gifts and experiential knowledge that you have been blessed with for the healing of others. I so look forward to hearing what you all have to say! God bless you all :)

Ps: (This is something you can do anytime, not just at this time. If you feel a nudging to share something in the future, do it and send it over!)