You can waste a lot of time watching birds, can’t you! Especially during this recent cold snap! I have multiple birdfeeders and suet cakes hanging from trees in the yard positioned so I can see them from the kitchen area. They were certainly busy the past few days as the temperatures here in Tulsa dipped to 6 degrees overnight. (I know that’s not much to my LWML sisters in Iowa!)

It was interesting to see that a lot of the time they didn’t want to share with the other birds. Some of them seemed to spend more time chasing other birds away than they spent eating the seed. Sometimes it was more than two of them going at it.

Given the abundance of birdseed, there was no way that one bird could consume the entire birdfeeder full of seed. You wanted to yell at them that there was enough for all so just cool down, eat, and enjoy.

Do you ever wonder if God sees humans doing the same thing? Fighting to claim “their stuff”? Not realizing that God has provided enough for everyone? Spending so much time trying to “get more stuff” that they don’t enjoy or appreciate the stuff they have already been given?

One of the things I love about my LWML sisters is that they recognize that the Lord has given us all enough and it is our privilege to make sure that the blessings are shared and distributed to all. We aren’t perfect at it but we try. We are always asking, “how can we help?” which translates into “how can we share the blessings we have been blessed with by God?”

Of course, the best spiritual gift, that of our salvation in Jesus Christ, is what we want to share the most. That’s why our life is seen as Lutheran Women in Mission. By sharing our time, talents and treasure the Holy Spirit works through us for those who don’t know the Savior. We know that there is plenty of God’s grace to go around for all! Let’s not be like the birds but be people who welcome and share this gift with everyone.

The birds have all gotten their fill and are roosting in the big magnolia tree out back. Being filled up with seed has brought them a sense of contentment and peace. God desires all of us to live in His good grace and to be filled up with contentment and peace as well. May we be found faithful in sharing this abundant grace of our Savior to all.

Love, Patti

[Jesus said] “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)