Birds Of A Feather - Part 2

Hummingbirds are incredibly aggressive, territorial creatures. The males especially will defend their feeder and living area by physically attacking and chasing other hummingbirds. They have established their space and will do whatever is necessary to maintain it as their own.

You would never suspect this antisocial behavior from a beautiful little bird. We stand mesmerized at the window while we watch their little wings and listen to their hum. We even laugh a little as they chase each other around the bushes below.

What we don't often realize, though, is that the male who is doing the chasing and protecting has something very serious at stake here. His territory is filled with all the food, nesting places and room to fly that he needs. If another male were to take up residence there as well, he would be fighting for a share of the food and the attention of the females. In their world, this is completely unacceptable.

To humans this seems shallow and mean. We learn from a young age to share what we have, include others and treat everyone as we would want to be treated. God's ways, man's ways and hummingbird ways are all very, very different.

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:17-19

If we were to adopt the attitude of the hummingbird, we would never allow anyone to come into our personal space. There is too much we've created in our homes, our hearts and our minds that could possibly be taken away. It's just easier to chase everyone off and do our own thing.

But Paul reminded the believers in Rome that honesty, peace and patience are more important than space or being right. We're not territorial birds, but part of a flock that needs peace to run through it. This begins within our own hearts and being open to God's direction.

We can either live peaceably or live in the hummingbird's chaotic world of territory and isolation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Recovering An Old Card Table And Making It Usable Again

Image
This card table recover project has been on my to-do list for months. I've been using it as my workspace in the craft room for quite some time, and it sees a lot of abuse. Here it is now, with a neutral cover on it so I can take better pictures for my tutorials. There were dents and dings in the old blue covering from metal tools. And yes, I've used my embossing heat tool on it several times, leaving pretty good scars. The padding underneath the blue cover also made it difficult to keep paper crafts flat when adhering them together, so it was time for something new. That's where a simple vinyl tablecloth comes in handy. The process to recover the table is pretty simple, but I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. I share them with you now. First, don't do this on any surface but a carpet. I tried it on the deck int he sunshine to get better pictures, but all it did was tear up the cover. Second, get a second pair of hands to help you kee
Read more

Simple DIY Beaded Keychains

Image
We're having so much fun putting together goodie bags and door prizes for our upcoming ladies retreat at the church. So many of our ladies have donated craft supplies, decorations, time and energy to treat our visitors to an amazing time. These keychains are just one of the gifts some of the attendees will find in their bags. All you need to make them are a variety of beads, some fairly thin yet sturdy cord and a jump ring. Cut a length of cord, fold it in half and string it through the jump ring. String matching beads on both sides. And tie it off with a double knot. So simple, yet so pretty. Here's another variation: Cut a length of cord, fold it in half and thread it through a jump ring. Tie one or two beads on one side and tie it off with a knot. Make the other side longer with additional letters and beads before tying it off. Make a variety of lengths, colors, patterns and phrases so no two are alike.
Read more

Debilitating Disappontment

The things of this life tend to disappoint us. People aren't who we'd like them to be, events we'd hoped for never occur and things we'd expected to happen in a certain way never come to pass. I've tried relying on everything else in this life - relationships, career, better finances. When we look to mankind for answers or for hope, we will surely be disappointed. Our own misconceptions of life's circumstances leads us down a long, dreary path. What we plan and see inside our head doesn't always match what others see, or what may actually be reality. Looking into ourselves for "clarity" directs us straight to depression and failure. Have you ever heard yourself say, "I couldn't care less" and truly meant it? Having confidence in our own power to change our outlook means that we care more about the circumstances themselves rather than how to grow as Christian women. God is the only unchanging factor in our uncertain world. Focusing on
Read more