Learning To Sing!

If you've ever been awake when songbirds are singing in the morning, you may appreciate this scientific finding.

On Friday morning, I picked up a copy of Science News from April 2010 while cycling at the gym. Inside was an article about the first songbird genome. Besides the chicken, the only other bird that has a completely determined genome is the Zebra finch. And scientists have found within the bird's DNA some clues on how songbirds learn vocally.

Apparently, the male zebra finch learns to sing by memorizing his father's song and practicing the song for a month or two. Once he learns his father's song, it becomes his signature song and he sings the same tune for life. Zebra Finches are loud and boisterous singers. Although it starts as a few small beeps it leads to a rhythmic song of varying complexity. Their song begins as a few disjointed sounds, but as they experiment and match what they sing to the memory of the father's song, it rapidly matures into a full-fledged song. During these formative times, they will incorporate sounds from their surroundings into their song. Each finch has a unique sound but they will overlay their own uniqueness onto a common rhythmic framework. Sons generally learn the song of their father with little variation. Although the male finch's song may change during puberty, he later sings his father's song his entire life.

Ok, hmmmm. First, he learns His father's song.
Second, he sings the same tune for life.

I got to thinking about how this songbird provides a parallel to my life as a believer.

When my Heavenly Father made me His daughter, I began to learn a new song. I'm still learning to sing it, probably still at the peeping stage, definitely still disjointed. What may take the finch only one or two months will probably take me a lifetime but as I experiment in living out this song, hopefully I will mature! Fortunately, I'm following the one who sang the Father's song perfectly - Christ Jesus. Christ's life was perfection. Mine is not. He sings a perfect melody each morning to our Heavenly Father and although I'm still learning the tune, still learning when to hit the low notes or reach some higher places in song, Christ has already perfected it.

And oh how much do I have to learn! The Father's character is trustworthy, patient, kind, full of love, gentleness, authority, justice, peace, grace. I could go on and on as I consider the character of God. My character is shifty, impatient, unkind, full of selfish ambition, brash, weak, prone to worry and often ungracious with others. Almost daily I'm confronted with my own humanity, which sounds a lot like a song that is sung off key. How deeply I need a Savior.

Although my own variation can sometimes be heard in my life and it's probably a little off key, my Heavenly Father's song is definitely my signature song. I don't want to sing any other. I do hear the Father's melody breaking into my song on more occasions than my own selfish song plays out and for that I'm thankful! And so there you go! Some moments of reflection from an Australian song bird!