The Things I See at School Pick Up

The other day I was waiting in my car for Ellie to get out of school.

I park on a residential street close to the school.

In the yard right by my car were two robins. One was busy with a worm and the other looked like he was bat crazy.

Like maybe he had sniffed some glue or had rabies if that's a thing birds can get.

The feathers on his head were standing up in all directions,  his body was all puffed up and both wings were spread out.

There was a crazy look in this bird's eye.

I swear, one eye was bigger than the other.

With much flapping around, I detected that he wasn't happy that the other bird was eating a worm right there.

I was worried for the worm eater.

He seemed undeterred in his eating.

He never even glanced at the crazy bird.

I have to admit, I may have yelled out advice for the little guy to leave before Crazy Bird flapped him upside the head or pecked his eyes out.

"Fly away!"

"Go!"

"Save yourself!"

"He's going to eat you!"

But he stayed.

Nibbling on his worm snack

 like there WASN'T a crazy puffed up bird 

making a big scene right by him.

I was riveted to the whole thing.

In one amazing second, Crazy Bird became completely normal.

No more wild feathered head.

No more puffed up body.

No more wide outstretched wings.

He may or may not have sighed 

before he flew away.

The other bird remained only concerned with his worm.

WHAT?!

As I tried to process the whole thing, it struck me.

That's what the enemy tries to do to us all the time.

All crazy and puffed up, he tries to intimidate us to retreat.

Retreat from the good work God has laid out for us.

Retreat from the blessings.

Retreat from the world in fear.

But we are told in Ephesians 6:11

"To put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand 

against the devil's schemes."

We don't have to fight him, 

God will do that, 

but we have to stand our ground. 

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

James 4:7

In Luke, Jesus tell us who to fear.

"But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who after the killing of the body, 

has power to throw you into hell."

Luke 12:5

You know who that is?

God.

Only God determines our eternity.

So that worm eating bird had it right.

He stood his ground, resisted the intimidation and Crazy Bird did in fact flee from him.

Right to the closest tree.

I'm so glad he didn't listen to me.

The things I see at school pick up.