A Song Restored in Albania

When Her Sound Returned

Spirit-led living is an adventure that will take you places you never dreamed you’d go. The call may come in the breeze that whisks through beckoning woods, where trees raise their branches with breaths of praise to their Creator. The stirring of the Holy Spirit might move in the bird’s song, eager to awaken your mind and arrest your attention with magnetic-like pull to the One who gave flight to precisely-designed winged creatures. Even Job, while being consumed with doubt, knew that creation played a role in calling us to behold the God of the universe. If we don’t dig deep and heed the call, we miss beautiful treasures along the path of this Divine story that ultimately leads us Home.

^{Job 12}

⁷ “But just ask the animals, and have them teach you;
And the birds of the sky, and have them tell you.
⁸ Or speak to the earth, and have it teach you;
And have the fish of the sea tell you.
⁹ Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
¹⁰ In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?

Whether it’s in the written Word, the Scriptures, a worship song, the word of another, or nature itself, God is faithful to lead by the Spirit through any instrument and atmosphere of His choosing. That voice will guide you to places you never imagined, and there, you’ll do things you deemed impossible. I never thought that leaning into surrender would take me to Albania. It was a land I’d never considered before, and I had no idea what abundant treasure lay before me in a place that had known more war and brokenness than I could fathom.

On our ride from the Tirana airport, the windows of the bus framed pictures I’d never forget; little farms and homes without electricity, multiple broken windows, chickens running across yards filled with debris and garbage. Laundry flapped in the wind as happy children played outside in the only world they’d ever known. All of this with glorious, green mountains as the backdrop. Indescribable emotions spilled from my eyes. Why am I crying? My heart swelled with compassion and love for the people of this majestic land. Albania…who would have thought?

We finally made it to the town square where taxi drivers did as they pleased, despite red lights and yield signs. It was apparent that sidewalks served as makeshift roadways. Power poles stood precariously with hundreds of pounds of wires and cables strung from here to there, and everywhere. A mix of hundreds-of-years-old and modern mingled with color and logos that strangely resembled American emblems. I was surprised to see a street in the city center named George W. Bush, right in the heart of a country that was largely Muslim at the time of our visit.

Our hotel room backed up to a mosque that made early mornings interesting as the droning call-to-prayer leaked across the cityscape. Off we went to an orphanage, churches, and meetings with city leaders. Sixteen days were filled with so many experiences, like a whirlwind that made it difficult to capture every gold nugget that was being deposited into my heart and soul. From Kruja to Durres, to Berat, and mountain villages…translators, interpreters, and a warm culture that embraced us with love; it was too much to document. There was an abundance of treasure to be found in Albania, one of which, was a place of preservation of the books of the Bible, carefully hidden by people who risked their lives to preserve them.

Aside from memorable moments, both little and large, like my first time going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, or addressing dozens of Albanian pastors in the very room that Hitler once used as a communication’s center, or speaking in churches, to touching ancient ruins and peeking inside a mosaic chapel in a hilltop castle, there were a couple of jewels that specifically stood out to me and my husband:

1) When we asked the pastors how they became Christians, 80% of them told stories of Jesus revealing Himself to them in a dream or vision. One man spoke of how he was bowing down in a mosque when Jesus appeared to him. He also informed us that Jesus seems to make this a regular habit; presenting Himself to seekers.

2) The farmer’s market sold something unusual and unique. This rare item held deep and profound meaning. Allow me to explain:

In the center of Tirana, a farmer’s market displayed every color of olive you could imagine, next to aisles of fresh produce, fish, and other meats. But this wasn’t the peculiar element. We saw something that drew our attention. Large, rugged men, resembling characters from the movie Taken, gathered around small cages perched on bushes, each containing tiny birds. These men whose eyes spoke of atrocities and hardship leaned in closely to observe the chirping, melodic, feathered creatures. A smile formed on their faces as they listened to the song. One by one, they pulled money from their pockets and purchased the birds. My husband turned to one of our Albanian friends and asked, “What is this about? Why are they selling birds here?”

The man answered, “Because of war, the birds went away. There were no more bird songs…not for a long time. Have you noticed…” he pointed up at apartment balconies, “haven’t you seen the birds in cages on almost every balcony? Now that birds have come back and we can hear their songs, we like to have them close.” I suppose G.K. Chesterton was right when he said, “The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.”

The sounds of freedom. Melodies that moved the most battle-weary soul. How could a tiny bird evoke emotion in grown men who’d known evil? How could its song pierce through walls that had been erected to protect a traumatized heart?

This might have been the most beautiful thing we witnessed on this unexpected Albanian adventure: men who were willing to purchase the sound…the sound of Home. Albania’s song returned. She may have been broken, but her wings were never lost.

Psalm 50:11 - I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.

Are you aware of the moving of God’s Spirit around you? Do you see it? Do you hear it? Can you feel it? Have you been led to places you wouldn’t have imagined? Has your song returned? I’d love to hear about your experience of being drawn Home-ward.