Spillover

Sometimes you’ve got it all going on. Life is working. Life is good. And in that season (or moment) the almost magical overflow of abundance you’re experiencing spills over onto those in closest proximity. It could be knowledge, resources, a flood of creativity, even torrents of courage or streams of joy that now flow through you like sap through a maple tree.

That’s exactly what came to mind as I noticed the seed-filled leaves on this miniature kumquat tree. This little sprite happily grows beneath a hanging birdfeeder fastened to a string of patio lights overhead. This corner of the garden in particular is a well-trafficked hangout for the finches and sparrows around here. They visit throughout the day to enjoy an abundance of birdseed, thanks to me, I humbly confess. But instead of appreciatively, perhaps even cautiously, partaking of the variety of seed in the overfilled tray, they carelessly pick and choose the millet or safflower seeds. Using their tiny beaks they knock out the seed that doesn’t catch their eye. Sometimes due to their clumsy landing procedures the seed in the tray goes flying to the ground as well. It’s never wasted thanks to the doves that are too large to perch on this particular feeder. The juncos and sparrows are more than happy to do the cleanup on aisle seven, sparing themselves from the typically crowded club scene above. They seem to enjoy the spacious pecking ground below rather than jostle for a coveted perch on the feeder.

But back to the overflow ~ there are other types of plants that are neither positioned nor proportioned to catch the falling seed. It struck me that the ones with upwardly cupped leaves catch seed. They didn’t work for it, jockey for position or otherwise earn it by any effort themselves. They were in proximity. In the right place at the right time it seems.

And then for our species there are times that we suddenly receive what we’ve been working for, hoping and praying for. Our own efforts didn’t bring it though. Happenstance? Providence perhaps? It may be the result of the overflow of others around you. Proximity is an interesting thing.

It doesn’t have to make sense. There isn’t a formula you can apply but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen and couldn’t happen to you at any unforeseen moment. I do not understand this but we must agree that at times this form of receiving what we’ve needed happens.

It’s a spillover and we were in the right place at the right time. We didn’t anticipate it and couldn’t really plan for it, it just happened. Spillover happens and when it does we can be prepared for one aspect of a miracle like this, whether its sustenance in one of a variety of forms or other intangible entity. Let your heart be grateful and ready for an unexpected handful of seed. You were in proximity to something good and this time it spilled over onto you.