The Cardinal and the Blue Jays

THIS BLOG ENTRY IS DEDICATED TO MARTHA SIMS WHO WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD IN JANUARY, 2010.

Yesterday morning as I was sitting in our kitchen at the breakfast bar, some movement caught my eye outside the French doors which open to our back yard. When I turned to see what was moving I noticed a beautiful, bright red Cardinal sitting on the edge of the fountain/birdbath. Just about the time the Cardinal started to take a dip into the water, like a flash, a Blue Jay swooped in and tried to knock the him off of the bird bath. Unsuccessful, the Cardinal tries to go in for refreshing morning dip and the brilliantly colored Blue Jay swoops in again. Well, the Cardinal had enough of the Blue Jay’s swooping and started to fight back. I have never seen a Cardinal and a Blue Jay fight before! Let me just say, the Cardinal was losing! However the red bird kept flapping and yelling; the Blue Jay kept swooping and flapping and even called in back up. Two Blue Jays ganged up on one Cardinal and pretty soon the Cardinal gave up and left. The Blue Jays flew away. None of them enjoyed the cool refreshing water.
As I was watching this spectacle, I could not take my eyes off what was happening. I even made my early morning status on Facebook coincide with what was happening in my back yard. People who are my friends on Facebook even made comment about how there would probably be a sermon in that story somewhere. So I started to think about it and even ask for suggestions about providing a text and a title for a future sermon. I was laughing to myself and just waiting for all of the ideas to come forward. Some suggestions were made but honestly, no sermon -- just a good lesson for all of us to learn.
Many times when we come to worship together, we are just like the thirsty Cardinal. All we really want is to come and drink in the living water of the Lord as we worship Him and hear from His word. But sometimes the Blue Jays show up in the form of a person, an event or a physical ailment. We try to fight those feelings but sometimes they seem to multiply and gang up on us so we just quit and we miss the blessing of the refreshing water of life.
The next time that happens remember the Cardinal and the Blue Jays and don’t let some bird steal your joy!
• “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8
• “As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” Psalm 42: 1-2
• “Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” John 4:13-15