This is Sweetie. Sweetie is a little Red Breasted Nuthatch that has frequented my feeder from the very first time I put out feed. I saw her today busy, chatty, flitting about the business of springtime. Last winter Sweetie gave me a lesson that I shall not soon forget. I had always wanted to feed my little bird friends from my hand, so I set out to show them I was friendly enough to be trusted. I walked out to the spruce tree by the feeder one afternoon with a handful of seeds and nuts. On that first trip to the tree, Sweetie came and hastily grabbed a sunflower seed then scurried off into the protection of the spruce.
Over the next few days a friendship was born. Other birds including Chickadees, Redpolls, and other Nuthatches would hop out of the spruce onto my hand for an easy snack, but Sweetie was always first. She would be there waiting. When I would start walking across the driveway she to the outer branches of the spruce making the cute little sound Nuthatches make until I would stretch out my hand, then she would fly out, hop around my hand a little, sort through the offering of assorted seeds then flit away to either store the food or sit in the spruce and eat it.
Sweetie loves peanuts and usually in a 10 minute period she would go hide three or four peanuts then take one to eat in the spruce, so I got to know her quite well. I would see six or eight other birds regularly, but Sweetie was the one I always looked for. After a few weeks of enjoying this interaction I got a bright idea. Sweetie loved peanuts and as the winter grew colder I knew it would take more energy for her to live so I set up a feeder just for her. It only contained peanuts and it was a feeder that made it difficult for the bigger birds like Magpies to feed there as well. I smugly watched the feeder from my window and observed that Sweetie and a couple other Nuthatches were there several times over a short period and I sensed that they had struck gold, an unlimited supply of their favorite high energy food. The next day I went out with my customary handful of goodies. Sweetie’s reaction was startling. She barely paid me any mind. She stopped briefly on my finger then zipped over the the feeder of plenty. A few Chickadees stopped by as usual, but my little friend had other visions now, an unending source of peanuts whenever she wanted. It was never the same after that.
Some time ago I was wistfully watching out my window considering this story when the Holy Spirit began to whisper in my heart. I stopped to listen. He said, “You do the same thing to Me sometimes. I seek you out and feed you. I bring gifts into your life that give you strength and health, but the abundance seems to distract you from the relationship I want to have with you. Sometimes you are just like Sweetie.”
Every time I see my little birdie friend I am reminded of those words and how easily is seems to be to get focussed on things that distract me from from seeing Jesus only.
There may be something here for all of us.
His Kid, Your Brother
Ken
His Kid, Your Brother 