The Undesirables

By Pat

I have been feeding the birds for a very long time. I get so much enjoyment out of it, and I have spent a good deal of time and money through the years buying assorted feeders and seeds that will attract the birds I love to see...the cardinals, chickadees, goldfinches and woodpeckers are my favorites. I go to great leanths to make sure they have food every day so that they will continue coming to the feeders. But unfortunately, they're not the only birds who enjoy eating in my yard! (And we won't even mention my endless battles with squirrels!)

I get really upset when I see the "junk" birds eating the sunflower seeds; the starlings, grackles, red-winged blackbirds and brown-headed cowbirds are delighted when they discover the feeders in my yard, and they come in droves, devouring every seed in sight with very little effort, and it drives me crazy! They throw the seeds this way and that, and in no time at all the feeders are empty, and they are so aggressive that the "desirable" birds end up with nothing. No matter how many times I chase them away, they come back. Fortunately, eventually they move on because they come in spells, but during the times they're here, I am really determined to scare them off.

Isn't it a good thing God isn't like that? What if He only wanted to feed and care for the pretty ones, or the ones who sang well? What is those who are more financially successful gained more favor with God? What if those who were of sweeter nature were treated with special by God? What if God chased away those of us the world deems as "the undesirables?" Wow. That's a scary thought to me. I can't say I'm sure I would be welcome at God's feeders if that were the case! I certainly have plenty of traits that God must surely view as undesirable, but thankfully, God doesn't operate that way. We are all beautiful to God. We are all desirable to God, and He wants to feed each one of us. All are welcome at God's feeders. I thank God every day for his great, fair and unbiased love.

"As for those who seemed to be important-whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance-those men added nothing to my message." (Galatians 2:6)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.