The Afterthought #1 (On Leaving the Nest)

How Research Helps and Hinders the Discovery Process

Apr 04, 2024

“The Afterthought” is a postscript for writers, creatives, and anyone who wants to follow their thoughts into deeper revelation.

This follows my previous post “Leaving the Nest”.

I resumed writing “Leaving the Nest” after leaving the draft alone for quite a few years. I’ve found working on a past piece of writing uniquely challenging. My writing style has evolved and the initial image is no longer fresh in terms of its impact. It’s meaning has also evolved. However, in a way, this analogy is even more fitting then it was at the time of writing, which makes publishing it now all the more pertinent.

I’ve learned a little more about birds since then as well, which leads me to discuss the role of research in developing meaningful metaphors in writing and other creative and spiritual practices.

There is rarely a perfect analogy. Most begin to break down at some point. It’s important to use research to deepen and extend our discoveries rather than drain them of their original magic through a sort of fact-driven perfectionism. If my purpose was to educate readers about birds and their nesting cycles, research would be a priority. But if my purpose to to glean meaning and revelation for my own spiritual growth and the encouragement of others, then research is simply a tool at my disposal. Through research I can expand my understanding of the object in question and, as a result, deepen the revelation and clarify the application.

For example, when I learned that birds don’t typically return to their nests, the idea of leaving it behind took on a new meaning. Since finishing this piece, I also discovered something that rocked my world a little bit. Sometimes when you spot a brown cluster in a tree, it isn’t actually a bird’s nest, but a squirrel’s drey, a cozy refuge for our bushy-tailed friends. Goodness knows how many nests I misidentified! I was about ready to dismantle the whole thing, feeling I’d built it on a possible half-truth, an illusion! After a bit more poking around on the internet, I was relieved to find that squirrels often build dreys on top of nests (acknowledging the smart, strategic choice of the original architect). Nevertheless, I had to stop myself from going any further down this rabbit hole.

Sometimes research is helpful, and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes the information overload that comes from a hyperfocus on whatever thing has caught my attention can be a hindrance to hearing. It can cause me to overthink and overcomplicate the meaning and dilute the metaphor of its original impact. At the end of the day, it’s about what the meaning sparks in your soul and the fruit that comes from it.

For every object, image, symbol there might be a personal, timely, cultural, and universal interpretation. In other words, when you see a nest in a tree (or some other object or image that comes to your attention), it might mean something different to you than it does to your friend, based on your own spiritual insights and cultural influences.

For me, when God speaks through an object, it transforms the way I look at it from then on. It now has personal and spiritual significance and gets woven into my history with God. These things become a gentle way for him to remind me of things he has revealed to me. It’s pretty amazing the way he picks things that will regularly fall into my line of vision at just the right time.

I thought it would be helpful to share a little about the way these things often unfold for me and things I try to keep in mind as I go:

Pay attention

Often, I’m on a walk, staring out of the window, driving around, gardening, cooking (you know, something fairly mundane requiring little concentration), and I either notice something with my physical eye and feel strangely drawn to linger on it, or some intriguing image enters my mind’s eye, sometimes a little intrusively, and invites attention of a different kind. It’s distinct from other random thoughts and is usually a little more lasting and persistent. It’s important to not be dismissive of these things because they are often evidence of a “Christ mind” and the Holy Spirit, the ultimate creative, at work.

Tune in

Once I’m aware that I’m being drawn to something spiritually significant, I slow down and think about it, scanning my schema for something that makes sense in the moment. I think about the characteristic of that thing and the way I’m interacting with it. Sometimes the meaning drops into my heart and mind quickly; other times, I tuck it away and commit to return to it later.

When I’m a little lost as to why I seem to be fixated on this thing, I simply ask God to reveal to me what it means. We see this example from the Old Testament prophets who were regularly interrupted with, quite frankly, some bizarre imagery. A conversation between God and prophet usually has to take place in order to receive the full revelation. Sometimes it’s as simple as naming what you see and acknowledging its spiritual significance:

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almondbranch.”Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:11-12)

Daniel is slightly more disturbed by his vision and inquires of an angel to understand the meaning:

As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. (Daniel 7: 15-16)

In both of these OT examples, I love that God and his angels are present in the moment and the revelatory process is imminent and interactive.

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Dig in

I will often participate in the revelatory process by doing a little research. Usually this is limited to a couple of quick Google searches but, yes. I have, in fact, read an entire book about bees, and currently, I have two bird books checked out of the library and a third on reserve. I guess if nothing else, I get to whip out a bird fact or two at parks and dinner parties. I can also store the information in my “mind cellar” to pull out the next time a bee hive or bird’s nest catches my attention; I’m building my schema.

Let it breathe

While I might see that a certain thought needs to be followed, I may push pause on the process and leave it alone for a while. Sometimes I’m not in the right “frame of mind”, I’m stressed or hurried, there are too many competing or negative thoughts to deal with first. Other times, as with the the nests, the metaphor seems rich and even a little overwhelming; I could travel with it in many different directions. At times like these, I have to let it breathe trusting that meaning will come in time.

Let it be

If there seems to be nothing to glean, then I simply let it be a thing of beauty I was meant to linger on. I have a tendency to over-analyze, and I’ve learned that I don’t have to extract “profound” meaning from every thing that captures my attention. Often it’s an invitation to marvel at nature and praise the creator. It’s put in my path to inspire worship and gratitude. It even might slow me down and draw me to the much-needed rest my body and mind crave, like the “quiet waters” God lovingly leads us to.

That’s all for now, friends! I hope you found this helpful. In the comments, I’d love to know what your own thought-following process looks like. Do you do any of these things?