What's Your Heart Language?

Some people know flowers.  Like author Vanessa Diffenbaugh who had a hit first novel in 2011 called Language of Flowers.  She weaved into the novel the meanings of flowers initiated during the Victorian Era.  Who knew that every flower was given a meaning?  And not just common flowers like roses, lillies, carnations and daisies, but obscure ones that people who speak the language of flowers would know.

I know birds.  At some point I went gangbusters into developing perennial gardens to attract a variety of birds.  Eventually I had become quite good at learning to identify backyard birds and even some of their songs.  And because of these experiences I had an attraction to anything and everything about birds. That's why I was attracted to a celophane-wrapped-you-must-buy-it-first-to-know-what-it-really-is box with bird pictures all over it.  It said the box included a book and cards.  It's called Bird Signs by GG Carbone.  The title wasn't telling to me what it was about, but it said "come on, take a chance on me!" I am so glad that I did!  What I liked about the book is that it helped me learn more about the habitats and behaviors of a variety of birds. Eventually I found the cards that came with it were terrific for meditation because each card had one type of bird and one word on it.  It's because the author, and many others, have attached meanings to so many different kinds of birds.

And so it happened that I learned the "meanings" of birds. Now, when a bird catches my attention, especially when I have somehing on my heart, but even when I actively don't, I pay attention to its meaning.   Like when a house wren came in through a vent into the house or a woodpecker banged incessantly on my chimney dome, I thought of its meaning, or when a vulture stood with wings widespread over roadkill right smack in the middle of my suburban street, I gave pause,  And it is always what I need to "hear."

To me, this is another way that *God may choose to speak to us.  He simply takes what delights us, what makes our hearts sing and uses it as a way to reach us.

Reflective questions:

1.  What makes your heart sing?

2.  Do any of these interests include a variety within a subject (insects, precious metals or minerals, etc.) which already have meanings attached to each one?  If not, is it something you feel a calling towards, to attach meanings to each type in order to create a heart language?

3.  What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, God, what do you want me to know?)

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, etc. better suits you for today.  It is not for me to decide.