{my graphics are free goodies for you}
I wake to a tap-tap against glass, stumble bleary-eyed into the kitchen and ask my husband, “What’s that sound?”
He gestures to the small pane above our front door and says, “Robin.”
Sure enough, one of the lovely red-bellied birds that arrive in our area this time of year is pacing back and forth on a ledge, pecking relentlessly.
“This is crazy behavior,” I say to the bird. I do some research and discover my feathered friend thinks its reflection is an enemy. While there’s not another bird who’s actually a threat, there is a different kind of danger…
The whole time the robin is fighting its reflection, it is NOT doing the things that will really ensure its babies’ survival. It needs to eat, sing (if it’s a male), build a nest, incubate eggs (if it’s a female), and chase REAL robins away. – Learner.org
Suddenly the robin’s behavior doesn’t seem quite so strange. Instead it seems familiar. Because at the root of all that wasted time and energy is simply this: false insecurity.
Confession: I peck my share of windows too. Maybe I tap-tap my computer keyboard to check Facebook one more time because I don’t want to miss out on anything. I let worry-filled thoughts pace back and forth in my mind. Sometimes I even stare at my own reflection like it’s an enemy. You too?
The site I found said there’s only one way to change this behavior in birds: Get them to stop looking at themselves. It’s the only way our hearts can be free too.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth….The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.Psalm 121: 1-2, 7-8
This Psalm first says, “I lift up my eyes” and then it describes God as the one who “watches over you.” In other words, when we look to God, we discover He’s looking out for us.
I finally persuaded the robin to move on from its imaginary battle. Maybe it’s time for us to do the same. Because here’s what I’m learning is real: We are loved. We are safe. We can stop fighting and let our souls finally sing.
XOXO
Would you like to subscribe by email?
