The Dove and The Hawk

 

It was a Saturday, and he was doing some work in the house. The front door was open, but the glass storm door was closed. Suddenly, he heard something hit the storm door, hard! Had someone thrown a rock at the door? Was it a foul ball from the kid’s playing baseball across the street? As he ran to the door, he saw two objects lying on the porch. The first he recognized as a white-wing dove and appeared to be dead. The other was a magnificent red-wing hawk. Its wings were spread out and its head on the concrete motionless. Thinking for a moment it became clear the probability of what had occurred. The hawk evidently swooped down on the dove and in a panic move the dove flew toward the door, which appeared to be an escape route, resulting in both birds smashing up against the glass door. Somehow, the door glass didn’t even crack. Now, both birds were lying motionless on the porch. Not wanting to interfere with nature, the man watched the birds and in a few moments the hawk lifted its head. It had been knocked senseless. He kept checking on the bird without disturbing it. For over an hour the hawk stood on the porch trying to get its wits back. Finally, it spread its wings and flew off, without its dinner.

Was there anything evil in this act? Of course not. The dove and the hawk were both acting on the instincts that God gave them. But I think one can see a parable of life in this event. Sometimes I feel like the dove, and at other times I feel like the hawk. Like the dove, I can be going about my life, minding my own business, when all of a sudden something sinister enters in. Too many bills at the end of the money, sick children, upset wife, disappointed boss, etc. Any of these things can quickly turn life miserable. Without warning they can swoop down on us, forcing one to make immediate personal decisions. And, like the hawk, it could be I’m about to get something good when and unexpected wall looms up out of nowhere. And what I was counting on doesn’t come to fruition. Great disappointment is the result. Too often, life doesn’t go as we had planned it.

[Proverbs 19:23] When life doesn’t go as we plan one needs to remember these great truths: * God has a purpose for your life. God told Moses – “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). * God wants to provide for you. Concerning the worries of life, to you Jesus said – “…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:25-34). What things? Everything we need. David testified – “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). * God’s presence is ever lovingly in your life. For He, Himself, has said, as recorded by the Hebrew writer – Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 27:1; 118:6).

I recently found an interesting quote from Robert Byrne. It is this: “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” I would qualify the quote by adding this: “The purpose of life is a life of purpose for God.” The writer of Ecclesiastes sought everything of the world to find the meaning of life. He concluded the purpose of life is to “…Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Find a purpose for your life that agrees with Scripture, and then live that life with passion and purpose. Praise God!