"The Birds and...... Me"

Lazuli Bunting and female American Goldfinch at my feeder

“A man, observing his natural face in a mirror; …observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was..” (James 1:23,24)

There is a funny little jingle that I like…..
“My face,
I really don’t mind it,
Because I’m behind it,
It’s the people in front that I jar”

There is a tendency in our human nature to have better vision when we are observing someone else than when we look at our selves. Someone else’s tiny fault always looms larger than our own character flaw.

We also don’t react well to someone pointing out our shortcomings.

God, of course, knows our weakness in not seeing ourselves the way He sees us.
As a loving Father, He took advantage of another weakness we have --- our fascination with mirrors --- to gently repremand us.
He build ‘mirrors’ into nature, that catch us off guard and we find ourselves looking at our own ‘reflection’.

We have two bird feeders outside, a hummingbird feeder and a seed feeder.
I have been watching the birds… and feeling like God must feel when he looks at us.

The things I have observed in ‘God’s mirror’ are very simple basic truths but is it not the simple things we sometimes need reminding of the most?

I watch the birds and observe that they are quite ‘racist’. They will allow their own kind to sit at the feeder with them, but are very aggressive toward a bird ‘of another feather’. I think, “You silly birds! What is the difference between you? Why can’t you just all eat together? There is plenty of room for you all.”

Oops! I pride myself on not being ‘racist’, but there are more ways than one to discriminate. Are there certain people that just rub me the wrong way and so I avoid them? Are there people I would just rather not be seen with because they are poorly mannered, uneducated, or of a lower social status than I want to be thought of belonging to?

I watch the birds stressing themselves out guarding the feeder, dive bombing other birds and chasing them away, sitting nearby even when they are not feeding. I watch and think, “You silly birds. Why don’t you just enjoy the seed, eat all you want, and freely share it with all the other birds. Don’t you know I am watching and will simply refill the feeder when it is empty? The supply is far greater than you could ever deplete!!”

Oops! How often have I worried about God’s supply – worried that my needs may not be met, horded my ‘goods’ because I was afraid if I gave too much away there may not be enough left for me. Yes, Lord, I see myself! The reflection is not pretty.

I have some very pretty birds who come to my bird feeder and oh how I delight in their beauty! I would love nothing more than to be able to walk up to the feeder, hold out my finger and have them jump onto it and sing to me! How my heart would swell with their precious gift of trust. But no, I have to content myself with taking pictures from afar, because as soon as I walk up to the feeder they fly away.

Oops! Again I caught a glimpse of myself. Why do I not trust God with my whole heart? Why do I not believe that He has only the best intentions in every area of my life? No matter what I feel, why do I not happily hop onto His outstretched finger and sing my song of love to His face? Why do I fly away when He comes too close?

I watch the birds eat a little and then fly away, perhaps coming back later in the day, sometimes not for a few days. And I wonder where else they are eating. Why don’t they just stay close to my feeder and let me take care of them and keep them safe? Why do they go elsewhere to eat, when all the best is right here?

Oops! The mirror again! I see myself, Lord! Why do I nibble at Your table and then fly off and eat everywhere else? Why do I seek out bits of food among the garbage this world has to offer when I have an abundance from your hand? Why do I follow the ways of this world so eagerly and become preoccupied with all it has to offer? So much so that I eat only sparingly from Your Word of life.

And yes, Lord, I know…. Even when I do read your Word and hear Your voice I wander off and forget what You said.

“O Lord, thank you ! for the mirrors you built into nature so I can see my reflection. Help me Lord, to be obedient to Your word, to be like David of old whose heart's cry was….
“My King and my God, for to You I will pray,
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord,
In the morning I will direct it to You
And I will look up!” (Ps. 5:3)