A few years ago, my husband bought me my first birdfeeder. I loved to sit in my chair and watch the antics of the birds. What amazed me was how the different birds seemed to have human characteristics. Watching them was like people-watching.
Always the first to arrive at the feeder were the blue jays. Their blue feathers were beautiful, but they were loud and rude. They pushed their way in front of the smaller birds and ate like pigs, spilling more seed on the ground than they ate. They seemed to think they were owed a meal and never gave a thought to anyone but themselves.
The starlings always traveled in packs. They made up for their size by their numbers and how aggressive they were. They had a gang mentality and they terrorized the other birds.
The white doves came in pairs. They spoke softly and waited patiently for their turns. Even though they were much bigger than the other birds, they seemed unaware of their power. Instead, they were very timid and were scared off by the tiniest sound or movement.
I loved the rare visits of the red-headed woodpeckers. They came and sat regally on the railing so that the other birds could appreciate how awesome they were. Once they had everyone’s attention, they couldn’t be bothered with eating with “the peasants” and flew off without eating a bite.
And, the tiny hummingbirds weren’t afraid of anyone. They were too busy buzzing around and feeding on nectar. They took no notice that anyone else was around.
Watching all the “bird-people” brought me so much joy.
Then, the rats came.
They set up shop under the deck and slunk out at dusk. They were big and healthy from all the birdseed they ate. They slunk on the ground and slithered up the railings. Their movements were furtive as if they knew they had something to hide. They gave me the creeps.
When I saw one right on the other side of the glass, eating happily from my window feeder, I was done.
I had put up with all the bird poop on the deck. I had even put up with my new bird friends completely decimating my blueberry crop. But, the rats were the final straw.
I let the feeders run out in the spring and had my husband trap all the rodents.
I miss my feathered friends. But, good things always seem to get polluted by bad things, don’t they?
Except for our Jesus. This broken, sin-filled world didn’t corrupt him. He stayed good and pure and perfect. He fills me up and teaches me every day. And, he keeps the rats from taking over everything.
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