I see metaphors in nature they way police officers spot traffic violators. They just seem to leap up in front of me as I go on my merry way. (I once absentmindedly followed a car through a light that was turning red as the car turned, right in front of a stunned officer.) I hope I don't burn out my blog audience with the endless references, but here goes another. I have fought a short but furious battle with raucous, cawing, marauding black crows and wily, destructive, pillaging squirrels for a couple of weeks now. I have run through copious amounts of birdseed and worn myself out beating on my kitchen windows. I have undoubtedly frightened my close-by neighbors by suddenly wrenching open my back door to shout "GO!" to the horrible little moochers as they devastated my birdseed supply.
Here is what I had in mind when I bought my feeders and stocked myself with seed: an endless procession of tufted titmice, chickadees, eastern bluebirds, cardinals and other elegant, softly twittering birds to grace my feeders, prompting cries of "Oh look!" and "How beautiful!" at the dinner table. That is exactly what I got...for all of about twelve hours. Then the aforementioned Visigoths arrived in two warring factions seeming to vie for the title of "BEST DECIMATORS" on my deck. I am laying down my arms. That is to say, the seed feeders are coming down. All that will remain are the hummingbird feeder and the birdbath. Certainly I will be sacrificing the OCCASIONAL small bird, like the chickadee which seemed newly hatched that delighted me two days ago as I perched on my deck, laptop flipped open. He was timidly in search of a little snack, but I scared him. (By comparison, a crow can inhale a gallon of seed before I can, pots and pans banging, run him away.)
The point here is that isn't it nearly always the case that with everything worthwhile that we pursue in life, along comes something negative that we didn't plan for, didn't welcome, and certainly will not put up with? While I have surrendered to the crows and squirrels, there are things in my life that I will not surrender at all. No matter the cost. Those pursuits God has directed me to I will forge ahead in like a plow mule with blinders. I must remind myself that, while challenges and distractions may surprise me, they have not surprised God and, if He is leading me on, then on I MUST go and will go in the full power and annointing of the Holy Spirit. And, by the way, since I know He cares about the little things...I expect a bustling crowd of hummingbirds this season and a very active bird bathing "center" just off of my deck all summer. Can't wait to see which birds He sends. He ALWAYS has the last word and what He blesses cannot be cursed!
Here is what I had in mind when I bought my feeders and stocked myself with seed: an endless procession of tufted titmice, chickadees, eastern bluebirds, cardinals and other elegant, softly twittering birds to grace my feeders, prompting cries of "Oh look!" and "How beautiful!" at the dinner table. That is exactly what I got...for all of about twelve hours. Then the aforementioned Visigoths arrived in two warring factions seeming to vie for the title of "BEST DECIMATORS" on my deck. I am laying down my arms. That is to say, the seed feeders are coming down. All that will remain are the hummingbird feeder and the birdbath. Certainly I will be sacrificing the OCCASIONAL small bird, like the chickadee which seemed newly hatched that delighted me two days ago as I perched on my deck, laptop flipped open. He was timidly in search of a little snack, but I scared him. (By comparison, a crow can inhale a gallon of seed before I can, pots and pans banging, run him away.)
The point here is that isn't it nearly always the case that with everything worthwhile that we pursue in life, along comes something negative that we didn't plan for, didn't welcome, and certainly will not put up with? While I have surrendered to the crows and squirrels, there are things in my life that I will not surrender at all. No matter the cost. Those pursuits God has directed me to I will forge ahead in like a plow mule with blinders. I must remind myself that, while challenges and distractions may surprise me, they have not surprised God and, if He is leading me on, then on I MUST go and will go in the full power and annointing of the Holy Spirit. And, by the way, since I know He cares about the little things...I expect a bustling crowd of hummingbirds this season and a very active bird bathing "center" just off of my deck all summer. Can't wait to see which birds He sends. He ALWAYS has the last word and what He blesses cannot be cursed!
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