When the bird lands, start to sketch. When it moves, move your pen to another part of the page and begin again. The bird might not hold still, so when it flits away or swings its head, move your pen again. Don’t get frustrated with the bird. Don’t wish it would sit still. The fact that it is moving means that you are watching it alive. The movement of your pen to a new spot means that while you aren’t making a photo, you’re capturing tiny moments in its wild, fast-moving life. The imperfections of your sketches are living pictures of this perfect little bird, this phoebe, this one right here, right now. And up above, three little phoebe mouths, newly hatched, open wide in the little nest, eager for their parents to come back, swiftly and safely, with this morning’s food.

Your life is like this, too. The little things, the fast motions, the flitting. What matters most: the small ones who depend upon us to act faithfully, not perfectly, but with love.

A series of sketches and notes depict various poses of a small bird with a focus on its features and behavior, alongside a nest illustration.