I enjoy watching birds, especially in the mornings while I eat breakfast. There is one red cardinal in particular who always escapes my camera. There is a wide array of wrens, thrashers and finches. The robins are new this year. I even think starlings have nested on my roof. All in all, my yard birds pretty much eat and live in harmony.
And then there are the blue jays.
Their arrival always seems to cause a ruckus of some sort. The normal chirps and chatter quickly morph into screeches and clamor with their visits. Yesterday was no different. However, this time I was able to view the scuffle first hand.
The mockingbird is not a glamorous bird. It’s not brightly colored or even sings its own song. I refer to them as the town criers. They are always chirping about something. They are noisy. And nosey. No other bird bothers to come over and inspect what I’m doing in the yard. Yet, I will give them credit for one thing, they don’t back down from a fight.
I’ve watched mocking birds chase away birds three times their size. I’ve watched mockingbirds dive bomb a cat too close to its nest. I’ve even had to duck one or two in my day. They are fearless.
I watched for nearly half an hour as two mockingbirds chased two blue jays and essentially tossed them of my yard. They never tired or gave up. It gave me pause to wonder, why don’t we fight like that?
Do we really fight hard enough to keep our peace and cut stress inducing conflict from our lives?
How about fighting to protect our kids from harmful influences even when those very things are deemed the norm?
I’ve had to fight to protect the progress I’ve made in certain areas of my life. Sometimes it takes all we have not to fall backwards into old attitudes and habits.
I’ve fought to forgive and I readily admit it wasn’t easy!
I’ve come to learn that to obtain those things that truly bless us, we will in some way have to fight for them. We may have to fight for a better education. A job. We might fight to keep our family together. We may even have to battle an illness.
There are times we must fight people to keep them from stifling us. There are times we are forced to fight the enemy and not be deceived. At others, we must fight ourselves and every inclination to accept second best. And yes, there are even times we wrestle with God!
There is often some manner of “fight” that precedes a blessing.
If you ever watch a butterfly fight its way out of the cocoon, it often looks like it’s not going to make it. By the time it falls out wet and wrinkled, it looks like it has lost the battle. But moments later after a brief rest, it eventually stretches out its wings and takes flight!
We must learn to look past the fight and toward the flight!
If you’ve fallen, get back up!
Fight like your life depends on it because it does. It won’t always be a fair fight, but with God on our side, we can finish our race and finish well!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV
And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28 NKJV
B Is for Blessed! 