More lessons from my feathered friends.....

This morning I observed one of the mourning doves sitting on the deck rail next to a small table that has a bird feeder on it. The doves and other birds like to regularly eat from this feeder...I believe they consider it their kitchen. As this dove contently sat a flock of seven black birds descended onto the deck, table, and tree next to the table. I wondered what the dove would do in the midst of so many birds bigger than herself (I am assuming it is the female bird...since she is next to the "kitchen ": ) ) not only were they bigger but they had longer sharper beaks/bills compared to her small beak AND she was out numbered seven to one! To my amazement, this dove continued to stay seated on the rail while the black birds flew back and forth, to and fro from the deck to the table, to the feeder to the tree....they looked confused by her presence. She was unmoved by their presence...she stood her ground as if to say "this is my kitchen!" . At one point she flew to the table and shook her head at one of the black birds and it flew away....the others joined him in his flight. There she was...all by herself, apparently unruffled by what just happened...and flew back to her post on the rail.

I could not believe what I had just witnessed! Beneath her gentle and meek ways, this dove was one tough cookie! I thought about gentleness and meekness and many things came to mind...scripture that says "His gentleness makes me great"...."the meek will inherit the earth"....Jesus is gentle and humble in spirit and we are to learn from Him....and so many other references to gentleness and meekness. The world would say that those who are gentle and meek are really WEAK, but oh no, they could not be further from the truth. Gentleness is truly a quiet, confident strength in God. A confidence based not on who the person is but WHOSE the person is...a child of God. So in the midst of difficult trials, attacks from our spiritual foe, lies from the world, sins of our own heart...where we may "feel" out numbered, out powered....there is a strength from within...a gift from the Holy Spirit...where we can sit confidently in God in the midst of storms. And just like my little "featherd" friend....we do not run away in fear but we face fear with confident hope.