Birds of a Feather Flock Together

There must be 100 little birds in my yard right now. They take a couple of steps then peck at the ground, take a few more steps then peck some more. I love watching them. Then all of a sudden in unison they fly away and I look around to see what made them leave. Nothing catches my eye.

Reminds me of the saying, “birds of a feather flock together”. 

This idiom was inspired by nature, by the fact that birds of a feather, or birds of the same species, flock together, or group together in flocks to fly or roost. It is uncommon to find birds from two different species flying together without fighting.

Most sources point to a text by William Turner in the year 1545 titled The Rescuing of Romish Fox as the first written use of this expression, Byrdes of one kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together.

It makes me think about who my feathered friends are, figuratively of course. Who do I spend time with? What flock do I fly with?

Stopping to ponder this question showed me that I have different flocks I fly with at different seasons of my life. My family is a flock especially when we get all the grandkids together. Then there is a lot of fluttering about. High school friends is another flock that I belong to. Friends in the town I live in are also a flock. But the one flock that I have been with now for 42 years is my Christian flock. I may move, and I have, they may move, and they have, but we still are all part of the same flock.

Where ever I go there will be people of the same flock that I can fly with. People of my own kind, who will understand my beliefs and take care of any need I have. God tells us He will meet all of our needs because we are His people. 

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

So who is your flock? Who do you fly around with; spend your time with, share meals with? If you aren’t getting feed (spiritually) you may need to change your feathers and your flock. 

May God Bless

Seek Ye First

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 

Have you ever had a sales job? They say it is all a numbers game. You have to get a certain number of “no’s” before you get one “yes”. A sales job is not for the faint of heart.

I did some home party sales for a while to earn extra money while the girls were young. They were old enough to come with me and help set up the display. It was hard work but we had fun with it. I was pretty good at it too. My day job at the time was accounting and my boss told me if I could see that stuff after hours I would be able to sell for them. Not knowing exactly how much money I would get each week wasn’t for me. 

Asking for something is always hard, at least for me. Asking for help with a project, help around the house or a raise. We could go into all kinds of deep thought as to why, but it really doesn’t matter. Hard is hard.

Depending on someone else to do something makes me feel vulnerable. Then I feel beholden to them for helping, almost like I owe them.

Crazy isn’t it, because I love helping others, as most of us do. Helping others just gives you a great feeling inside. I have seen people rally around a cause or person and do amazing things.

Do you want a “yes” in your life? There is one place to turn that the answer is always a “yes”. That’s our heavenly father.

One of my favorite hymns is Seek Ye First. The first time I heard it was when I picked my girls up from camp and they were singing it in the car on the ride home. My heart swelled and I had to wipe away the tears to see the road. 

God is always there for us with His “yes”. To come to Him and time we want and He is with us always. We may not get everything we ask for and, just like a child at Christmas, but we get what He knows we need.

Too many “no’s” in your life? Ask God and hear a “yes”. 

May God Bless You