Lessons From the Birds

I am a bird person. I share my backyard space with a variety of feathered friends and they bring me endless delight. I list their food expense under 'entertainment' in my budget because they provide me with hours of pleasure. They are a forgiving lot also. I have not been consistent with my feeding the last month because of being out of town and being sick. However, when I fill their feeders and their bird bath, they return immediately, forgiving me totally for my neglect.

The cardinals are my bird of choice right now. Mr. Cardinal gives such a bold splash of color to the otherwise bland winter landscape. There are four that visit me on a scheduled basis. They bring their Mrs. with them, and I love the more subtle hues the ladies wear. They appear at the feeders early in the morning and right at dusk. They might visit at other times also, but you can pretty much set your clocks by the morning and evening times.

The dark-eyed juncos who visit in the winter are interesting little charcoal gray birds who show up in the late fall and fly off by spring. They never eat from the hanging feeders. They are content to feed on the seeds that fall to the ground. You can see them pretty much any time of day going over the same plot of ground searching for fresh seeds.

The finches patiently feed at the finch feeders, plucking out one little thistle seed at a time. I so look forward to the first warm weather when the gold finches join their house finch cousins at my feeders. They literally flock to the feeders and vie in sometimes not so gracious ways for positions on the perches.

My grandchildren know the doves are not my favorite birds. They seem to have an attitude of entitlement and they are going to be first and last and ever in between all the other birds at the feeder. They lack grace and graciousness and never voluntarily give up their place for another.

There are many lessons to be learned from the birds and perhaps some jumped out at you as you read the above descriptions. There are numerous references to birds in the Bible. It was my least favorite, the dove, that brought Noah proof that the flood had ended. God used ravens to feed Elijah. He reminds us of His provision for us in the Sermon on the Mount: "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

I thank God for these feathered creatures and the joys they bring me and the lessons I learn from Him through them.