A Bit Apprehensive
I feel certain over the years I've shared my apprehension of birds with you readers. The definition of apprehensive is "anxious or fearful something bad or unpleasant will happen."
This reaction to birds comes from my grandmother showing me baby blue jays in a nest and the mother or father bird attacking her by swooping into her hair and then pooping on her shoe. That was traumatic enough, but nothing like my neighborhood girlfriend making me watch "The Birds" with her while spending the night in fourth grade.
We have mean geese in our cove, way too many woodpeckers, and swallows that like to nest in the boat house and then swoop at us when we are on the dock. I've been known to sit there with a paddle swatting at them in the air to protect our grandchildren. . None of these aggressive birds are my favorite.
But, I love listening to the morning chorus of the birds that calls out with joy, "It's a new day, praise the Lord!" The gracefulness of a long legged blue heron is a sight to behold and photograph as it glides across the water or struts along the water bank. The hummingbirds in the furious fluttering of their tiny wings makes the grandchildren and me smile. The mourning doves paired up with their mates cooing at one another on their one night stop over in their migration route in the spring, tug at my heart and cause me to give thanks for my mate. The sound of owls are a reminder God is watching over us at night and the majestic old eagle, who has been in our cove for years, triggers me to recite Isaiah 40:31 ...but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Check out this article on 6 traits of eagles.
https://inspiration.org/spiritual-life/6-traits-eagle
Funny, as I typed this, I'm thinking there are people we enjoy watching and interacting with, while there are those whose presence brings about a spirit of apprehension in our minds.
The Bible has a lot to say about birds, mostly positive comments, especially referencing doves. Not quite so favorable when it comes to ravens and vultures. But God has a purpose and plan for all the birds as well as all the people he created.
A day doesn't go by that we don't encounter birds or people if our eyes are open. May our sitings of both direct our thoughts and praises to our heavenly Father without any apprehension as to how much he loves and cares for us.
