The arrival of my favorite songbird signals the end of winter and the promise that spring is on the way. As a little girl, I desperately wanted to hold one. Its bright red breast and soft feathers made it look so cute! I just couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t let me. No matter how close I would try to get to one in the yard, it would always hop away — never flying too far, but staying just out of reach of the little blonde curly-haired girl toddling after it.

I don’t try to catch robins anymore, but I still appreciate them. They’ve become a reminder to me — not to worry.

In Matthew 6, Jesus reminds us that when we’re feeling anxious, we can look to the birds.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Matthew 6:26

Robins are one of the first birds to sing in the spring. They seem to be made for praise. It’s as if they can’t help but offer a song to their Creator for a new day and a new season. In the same way, we are made to praise, just as robins are made to sing.

Singing, as it turns out, requires breathing. And breathing requires a chemical exchange of two gases—oxygen and carbon dioxide. When we inhale, we breathe in oxygen; when we exhale, we release carbon dioxide as waste. This exchange is crucial for life. Our bodies depend on oxygen to help our cells convert nutrients into energy, enabling us to function properly.

But there’s an even greater exchange that took place on the cross. An exchange that highlights God’s provision and deep care for us.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

2 Corinthians 5:21

On the cross, Jesus took on our sin and exchanged it for His righteousness. There’s no greater gift than that. We are accepted and loved. So why would we worry? The oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange may be essential for this life on earth, but the exchange Jesus made on the cross is crucial for eternal life.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” 

Romans 8:1-2

But even with the knowledge of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, worry can still creep in. For me, it especially shows up when I become impatient. I tend to move fast. I think even faster. The ability to think critically, to make connections, and to spot patterns is a gift… until it’s not. When my thoughts spiral inward and get stuck in “what-ifs,” when I try to calculate every possible outcome to feel in control, that’s when anxiety takes over. It becomes a wave I’m riding, and when panic strikes, it’s easy to forget how to breathe properly. Shallow breathing kicks in. This only makes things worse, reducing oxygen levels and increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and stress.

But when I remember the robin and its song, I remember that deep breathing—just like the kind we use when we sing—counteracts all of that. Deep breathing allows oxygen to flow, lowering heart rate and calming the body’s stress response. Singing becomes a natural antidote to anxiety.

The robin is my reminder. Or rather, it’s God’s reminder that He’s got this. He’s got me. And He’s got you too. We can trust Him. We can slow down. Breathe. All may not be “right” right now, but because of Jesus, it will be one day. And that is reason enough to sing.

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” 

Psalm 96:1-3