Spirit Animal – Nightingale

 

Picture of the nightingale from www.mlahanas.de

 

 

 

 

    

Since I was little, I have been intrigued by tales of the Nightingale.  She is featured in many fairy tales, such as “The Nightingale” by Hans Christian Anderson.  In all of the stories, people want to own the Nightingale to possess her beautiful song.  On this Christmas Day, Nightingale brings a message that true freedom is not about being able to capture and control things and people or animals; true freedom is about being free to let all beings act and live exactly as they are meant to… unconditionally as nature intended.

Nightingale’s message is also in this beautiful traditional Christmas carol from Spain. 

The Gift

A poor orphan girl named Maria
Was walking to market one day
She stopped for a rest by the roadside
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
A few moments passed till she saw it
For it's feathers were covered with sand
But soon clean and wrapped it was travelling
In the warmth of Maria's small hand
She happily gave her last peso
On a cage made of rushes and twine
She fed it loose corn from the market
And watched it grow stronger with time
Now the Christmas Eve service was coming
And the church shone with tinsel and light
And all of the townfolks brought presents
To lay by the manger that night
There were diamonds and incense
And perfumes
In packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in a small cage
Maria had nothing to bring
She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in
And crying she knelt by the manger
For her gift was unworthy of Him
Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
Maria, what brings you to me
If the bird in the cage is your offering
Open the door and let me see
Though she trembled, she did as He asked her
And out of the cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new
Just then the midnight bells rang out
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
Whose beauty was fit for a king
Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To that cascade of notes sweet and long
As her offerings was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song

Listen to Garth Brooks sing “The Gift”  www.youtube.com/watch?v=96FEIeBpOcU 

Merry Christmas!

Judy@angelsandancestors.com   www.angelsandancestors.com   See our Angel photo gallery http://www.angelsandancestors.com/galleryAngel.html