Sometimes the Lord speaks to me through circum- stances and events in nature.  It’s as though I suddenly take notice of something that's ordinary, but it strikes me, causing me to take a second look.  I catch myself saying, "This means something," and then I begin to ask Him questions.  That happened to me again this morning.   As I took our dog for a walk, I noticed rays of sunlight gleaming through a feather fallen on the path.  As I walked by, I heard Him say, "I'm showing you something horrible." As I walked, I wondered what He meant.  I spied another feather on the ground.  Now these feathers are not the kind of feather your little girl would bring you: long and beautiful, in perfect condition, the ones that are ‘safe’ to touch.  They are more like the ones your little boy would bring you: old, dirty, matted and broken.  I began to understand.  He was showing me anointings that had fallen to the ground, never picked up, treasured and shared, or appreciated for their innate beauty.  I began to cry.

I continued to walk, but now I was determined to pick up the feathers along the way.  I didn’t want to let the cast-off anointings go unnoticed.  I came across several more when I was impressed to turn around and find the one that had the sunlight passing through it.  We made our way back down the path, but I couldn’t find those first feathers.  Because I knew I was acting on His direction, I became determined to find them.  I came across the second feather, but not the sunlit one.  I felt Him say I’d find it on the third pass.  In obedience I made two more passes, and there it was!  To my surprise the feather was actually two feathers, soft and downy with orange red tips, more beautiful than I had remembered.  My obedience resulted in a double blessing!

The word "horrible" means very bad, ugly, unpleasant, or dreadful.  Why did He use that word?  I recognized when I establish a value of Kingdom gifts using earthly measures, I can miss what God is trying to say or do.  My heart isn’t keyed in to His desire, and I’m looking to outward aesthetics rather than to the beauty of serving Him.  The anointings we believers value are the ones that create platforms.  We love healing evangelists, prophets who deliver personal words, and power teachers.  We think we have a lesser anointing if we are called to the prayer closet or left to care for the widows and orphans.  The anointing we need to value is the one He places on us for the moment.  It may never be seen by men, but it is seen by Him.  Perhaps it is truly horrible when He gives us an anointing, and we decide to let it fall to the ground without ever exploring its properties or assigning it a Kingdom value.  We, upon first glance, decide it's worthless and never give it a second thought.  My tears were tears of repentance.

Those sunlit feathers were soft and from the breast of a robin.  I searched until I found the feathers closest to the heart.  I think those are the anointings that enable us to rest our heads upon His breast hearing the rhythms of His heart.  Those are the anointings that are mostly unrecognized by men, and are underestimated in terms of power.  I found a total of eight feathers today.  The number eight speaks of new beginnings.  I think I’m starting again, again; this time with new eyes and a new measuring stick.  I want to see what He sees and value Kingdom gifts by Kingdom measures all the while hearing His heartbeat as my head rests upon His breast.  Selah!

Maryann