Lessons from a crow
Ponder: What can we learn from other living things?
Scripture: “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider” (Isaiah 1:3, NKJV).
Edgar Allan Poe would have loved it. While I worked with two different congregations, crows have landed in front of the church building and “rapped at my chamber door.” Actually, one rapped on a glass door, and the other on a window, but that’s close enough. In each place, the crow thought his own reflection was a rival crow, so he pecked, jumped, and flapped at it. This made it appear that his own reflection was attacking him, which perpetuated the rather comical activity. Do our feathered friends have anything to teach us? I think so . . .
Silly birds! If only they knew how much time and energy they were wasting. But wait – how much time and energy do we waste? God says to “redeem the time” (i.e. make good use of it, Ephesians 5:16). Paul wrote, “Thus I fight, not as beating the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26). He didn’t waste energy on useless pursuits.
My efforts to frighten the crows away proved futile. Once the first one realized the lion poster I taped to the door was harmless, he ignored it and continued attacking his reflection. Ditto for my attempt with a rubber snake at the second place. Empty threats get ignored. Parents should not make empty threats. State the rules and consequences clearly; then enforce the standards. Our God does not make empty threats. “As I have purposed, so shall it stand” (Isaiah 14:24).
I tried to dispatch the first crow with a BB gun. Despite my incredible stealth (!), the other crows always saw me, sounded the alarm, and flew away with my target close behind. That crow was wise to heed the warnings of such good friends! Solomon wrote of “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). He also said, “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).
Let us not waste time and energy. Let us not make empty threats. And let us seek to be good friends, and be thankful for good friends from whom we may seek counsel. These things we can learn from a crow.
Song: “This is my Father’s world”
Prayer: Father, help us to see the lessons all around us from the marvelous creatures You have made. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Joe Slater (Justin, TX)