I’ve had more than enough people tell me how they felt Ramadan came and left without transforming their lives.

For them, I have a story.

When I went into I’tikaf, every day I would pass by a window that looked down into the masjid below. There, every single day was a bird.

This bird never seemed to move and to be honest, I thought it was dead at first.

That was until about 4 days into I’tikaf when I walked by, and I saw some gray under the bird, and I looked closer; there under the bird was a small chick. It had just hatched that morning or during the night. Within the hour she was already out and about flying looking for food for her new chick.

I remember sitting there thinking of how this bird is a reflection of my own Ramadan and spiritual journey.

God sits there in my life, watching over me, waiting until I come out of the shell that protects me, a shell that simultaneously inhibits my growth. Once I’m out, He still cares for me, but I’m also now having to spend so much time alone, wondering when the next meal will come, having to have complete trust that eventually like the mother bird, God will come and nourish my soul.

The most beautiful part was that the mother didn’t just lay a single egg, she laid two. That egg now laid there without a mother, but what it did have was a new chick that hatched. An older brother or sister on the path if you will.

I watched them for a few days as the mother slowly positioned her new chick over the egg, and now the chick sits there keeping the egg warm.

A beautiful cycle of mercy, perfection, and a lesson for those who believe.

Ramadan may have come and gone, and that’s okay. It takes time to hatch, and your time is coming.

Just remember that when you finally learn to have trust in God like the birds, it’ll be your turn to watch over the next person working to free themselves & connect with the Divine.

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