Spending time with the Lord in unlikely places
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Many years ago, I used to work with birds and other critters in their natural habitat. It was more an avocation, or even a hobby, but I enjoyed it. I am one of those strange fellows who liked to be alone. “Being a loner means that you would prefer to be by yourself rather than with others. Depending on the context of the situation and your personality and preferences, this could be a good or bad thing. Some people view loners in a negative context. However, some studies show that being a loner can lead to happiness for the individual and could actually be good for your health. Some people in this study experienced greater life satisfaction with less frequent interaction with their friends. Introverts can also sometimes be considered loners. These are people who enjoy time alone, not necessarily because they don’t like being around other people, but rather because they are more interested in their own inner thoughts and feelings. Spending quality time by themselves is how they are able to regain energy.” (quoted from WebMD Mental Health Resource Center)
I was born during World War II in the Netherlands, in a coal cellar; the war was over in May 1945, when I was four and a half. My parents were with me during some of that time. After the war, I was enrolled in a boarding school for six years. Those years lacked in many ways. Still in the Netherlands, there was no improvement until I was 14, and we had immigrated to New York, USA. That year (1954) began with high school, and things got better when I began to learn the language. I knew a little English from the Dutch schools, but my vocabulary needed greater development. By graduation (1958) I was doing great.
During my school years, I met a Natural Science teacher who had dogs and needed help at home with her animals, and we became friends. What we had in common was a passion for nature, particularly birds. She introduced me to the Brooklyn Bird Club, a group of men and women who loved going out to watch birds. I am not a die-hard ‘birder,’ but it is enjoyable and usually a lot of fun. Through that activity, I got into bird-banding, an activity I enjoyed for 30 years, found a social life, and became less of a loner over time.
Those activities also brought me closer to God, through religious life and to the Secular Franciscan Order (32+ years). Tying all this together, I still hanker for a life devoted to the Lord away from people. My happiest years were the 4.5 years as a contemplative monk. When I write reflections, that happiness returns, but I cannot always explain why. I suppose it has to do with the notion of going into my private room… as in, “ Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
I suppose I loved bird banding because I was usually alone with the birds. It is stretching the point a little to say there is intimacy, but that intimacy is with God and not with the birds. (Yes, I did talk to the birds)
Peace and Good,
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
June 23, 2025