It was April 2020 when the leaves returned in abundance, and I became aware of spring in a different way. That's when I noticed the doves.
On May 17, I wrote in my journal:
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 + 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴.
Their song seemed to rouse something in me that had long been buried. Most days, I would walk to the balcony, alone in my sickness, and see the same pair of little doves on the other side of the glass. I didn't know Jesus then, but I was looking for Him, and when I saw them, I would think of Him. I recall often wanting to feed them, but, barely able to help myself, I simply sat and watched them. Though I had nothing to offer, they always came back.
I believe that God sends us what we need at the time that we need it. But do we perceive it? In the moment, I didn't know He was whispering to me, that He was with me. This week, He brought me back to that time, and the photographs from it, to show me that He always was.
Today, I am healed, and my faith makes me do things I never knew I could. I thought back to the woman in this picture, staring out at her sweet visitors, who she'd come to love—how she prayed and hoped for the faith I now have.
Revisiting that same balcony yesterday for the first time in two years, I looked for the doves. I never saw them, but I realized, I didn't need to anymore.
𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘏𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦
𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦.
He came to free us. He is with you. Do you perceive it?
