Birds of a feather

My mom moved in with us Thanksgiving 2015. She had been saying that she needs to feed her birds. For as long as I can remember my mom has LOVED watching birds. We started feeding them about 6 months ago, maybe less. Mom put the food out and waited. She mainly put them out for the doves because those are her favorites. We started with a few juncos. Then the chickadees found their way. Red and Gold Finches. Many Starlings. Blue jays. Wrens. Woodpeckers. Then her Doves. I think we have been counting about 10 roughly. It took a lot of time for them to find their way. Now I get to sit and drink my coffee, have breakfast with Joseph, and watch the birds eat.

This morning, while I was watching them, something was different. The Juncos kept running off this chickadee. He was persistent. He kept coming up on the table to get his food. Finally, he stood his ground and gained entrance to the table.

He's been eating peacefully with the juncos for about 15 minutes. I watched in amazement at this determined little guy fight his way to get some food. It's not like there isn't 2 bags of bird seed in the garage. He's going to get food. God was showing me how this lined up with the body of Christ. It's amazing how he does that with everything I experience these days.

In March of 2016, Justin and I started working with a church plant in New Hope. We didn't know these people. The way we came together is a story in itself. This group had been together for many years in their previous church. We jumped right in. I never felt like the chickadee that had to fight to gain entrance. Isn't it funny how some places you go you feel like you have to fight to be a part of something. You feel like a number. To you they are just a notch on their 'membership' scale?

I, personally, have had to learn how to accept new people into my circle in the last 2 years. After being hurt once, you tend to build a wall of protection. You don't want to see anyone else penetrate what you have established just to tear it apart. That's not the way we are supposed to act. We should get excited! Like I am now because there is a woodpecker on the porch. They are rare to see, and so stunning. Each person who walks through your church, or your life, has the potential to add to your life.

And patience. Above all patience. If you build it, they will come. The numbers of our birds has grown and grown over the past few months. The level of diversity is incredible. Right now I have 6 different birds on the porch eating. Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Dove, Junco, Wren, and Chickadee. They all come to my deck to have breakfast together. Everyone flocks to your ministry for one reason. To learn and experience God. They are different. They have different gifts. They bring life and experience to the table.

What I want to express to you this morning is that we are all a part of something. We don't have to fight to gain entrance or acceptance with God. We don't have to get to church earlier than everyone else to make us better people. We don't have to sing louder during praise and worship. We don't have to volunteer for everything to make us look good. God knows our heart. We are different, but equally important. We have to have patience. With others and God. (Lord knows that's a hard one for me.) Just like it's beautiful to watch the birds in the morning, God see's the beauty in ministry when His children work together. It brings joy to His heart when there is unity in the body of Christ.