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Then sings my soul

I love spring.

I know that many people say that, but in my case it's true. I love it. I love the fresh smell of new grass. I love the warm soft breezes that blow in off the Gulf, laden with sweet smells of the sea. I love the birds singing to their mates. And I love the life that bursts forth from everywhere. What a great time to be alive!

Since moving to Texas, I have become familiar with this guy:

This a mockingbird. He's about as big as a sparrow or other small bird - smaller than a robin or a quail or a dove. They are not really much for looking at, except when they fly and execute turns or other aerial acrobatics you'll see a flash of white from their wings that gives a certain dramatic pop to their antics.

But what makes these guys amazing is that they sing at least 10 times louder than what their bodies would seem to support. Most active in the morning and evening, you can hear them singing their varied and proud songs. Yet their songs are not their own - they're called mockingbirds because they learn their songs seemingly from other birds or animals. I have even heard that some mocking birds learn man-made sounds like emergency vehicle's sirens or car alarms...

Why does the mockingbird sing?

Why does man sing?

I'm sure it's complex. Singing helps us remember things. Oral traditions repeated and set to a rhythm and tune can more easily be recalled and remembered. Singing also helps us gain a mate. That's perhaps why the mockingbird does it. But why, then, does he continue to sing after he's found a mate? And why does man sing?

To me, I think there's an element of praise in song - any song - that edifies and uplifts. It can bring us closer to God than almost anything else. Remember that when Christ went away from the last supper He and His disciples sand a hymn. Then Christ entered Gethsemane and the events leading to Golgotha. I'm sure that the hymn, thus sung with His most trusted associates, bolstered His strength and helped Him to perform that which was necessary.

When I consider these things - how can I keep from singing?

The mockingbird sings and flies for very practical purposes. But I also entertain a belief that he sings and flies occasionally just for the sheer joy of it.

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