The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees every human being. From his dwelling place God observes all who live on earth. God is the one who made all their hearts, the one who knows everything they do.  Psalm 33:13-15

Being looked down upon from above is something my wife Trish and I have gotten quite used to in the last several weeks. Mourning Doves have nested upon a rafter of our pergola in the backyard. At first it was the watchful eyes of whichever parent was upon the nest. The last couple weeks as the two babies have grown so have the number of eyes upon us. Studying us. Quietly observing two humans and a dog.

It is better than watching television. We have been riveted. Every time we are at the kitchen window we look up to the nest. Before letting Beignet outside we sweep the ground with our eyes to make sure no birdie is compromised on the ground.

They have left the nest several times now successfully, and the parents are good at offering advice and a pump-up speech to join them on adventures. They are doing great, and before long they won’t need to return to the nest for protection and safety.

In fact, this morning when I looked up at the rafter it was empty and it felt disconcerting. I have gotten comfortable knowing they were watching. They know us, they are familiar now and they trust us, and we are in a relationship but not dependent upon each other. It feels like faith… with God looking down upon us, always.

I can’t imagine God not being present, mindful of me, nearby but by no means dictating the course of my movement. I take comfort in knowing God is here—observing. Yes, there is some pressure to perform properly, to live as God would want me to.

Accountability is good. And at the end of the day, with the “eye of the Lord’ us may we all be mindful of the better part, that no matter what we do or accomplish, God is with us. Amen!