The Birds Have Left the Building

This is a follow up to my last blog. I have never needed to write a follow up before, but feel that this is too good not to share. My last blog I posted a couple of weeks ago was about the dove that built a nest in my flower pot. I posted pictures of the squabs that hatched and how I did research on a dove being on your porch. Right after I posted this, within a day or two, a big snake came after those baby birds. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Here’s how it all played out.

As I was walking to look out the sidelights to check on the birds, I noticed that one of the parent doves had come back to sit with the squabs. I thought this was strange since the adults had been away most of the time now. They only returned for short amounts of time. I opened my front door to step out and see them. I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

I looked and it was a snake. It raised its head at me and started coming towards the open door. I almost let it get in my house! I realized it fast enough- jumped inside, slammed the door and looked out the sidelights again. That’s when I saw how long this sneaky snake was. I guessed around three feet. I didn’t know what to do so I started knocking on the window hoping to deter him. I understood why he was there- the baby birds! That old snake had come around hoping for a dove dinner. Knocking on the window wasn’t doing any good- imagine that!

I grabbed my cell phone and called my son who lives in Virginia. I don’t really know what I thought he was going to do to help me, but I called him anyway. Of course, he said get a shovel mom- go kill him. I kept running back to the door to look out and see what was happening, while explaining to Alex that I was not able to kill this snake. He was too big and I was too slow. My hands and feet don’t always work the way I want them to anymore! Alex said, you need to call Papa. I finally admitted that he was right when I saw that snake starting to climb up the front railing of my porch trying to get to those birds.

That adult dove never took its eyes off that snake, not once. It was statue still watching that snake get closer and closer to the nest. I, on the other hand, was running around like a crazy person trying to figure out how to save those baby birds from this predator.

I called my dad and told him the predicament. Like Alex, he encouraged me to get a shovel and kill the snake myself. When I explained that the snake was a big snake and that I didn’t feel like I could, he said what every woman wants to hear, “I’ll be right there.” He told me to keep watching the snake and that he would pull his truck up to the porch so he could jump out and get to the snake quickly. He said he’d bring his shovel and that I should just hold on for a few more minutes.

I watched that snake move from one side of the porch to the other. He was trying to find a good way to climb up the house to get to the hanging flower pot where the birds had nested. He tried the railing and that’s when I saw how long he really was. As he wrapped himself around the rails, his body was still on the bricks. I realized then that three feet was an underestimation of his length. I also recognized that he was thicker than I originally thought. I knew there was no way with my weak hands and my weak feet that I would have ever been able to kill him. I watched that snake climb up the railing and the siding of my house. I kept up my knocking routine which never phased him.

I called Daddy back and told him that the snake was in the process of climbing up the side of the house. He told me that he was turning in the neighborhood and he would be there within a minute or two. I kept up my vigil of watching out the window.

When Daddy pulled up, that old snake never even stopped climbing. He had his mind on that meal he was going to get. I’m knocking on the window and pointing to where the snake was. Daddy jumped out of his truck, grabbed his shovel from the back, and walked up to that snake. That snake still didn’t stop his climb.

POP!!!

One crack on the head and that old snake fell off the wall and was deader than a door nail. Daddy had dealt a deadly blow. He did hit him again just to make sure he was truly dead. Then he realized how big the snake was. By this time, I had stepped out from inside and Daddy offered to let me keep the snake. I told him that I appreciated the offer but that he could take him with him. I did say that he could throw him in the ditch if he really wanted. Daddy said, “I think he’s a little bigger than you thought.” I agreed and profusely thanked dad again for getting to me so quickly and for being willing to come out to kill that snake. Like all good daddy’s he said it was no problem. I told him I would never have been able to sleep if he hadn't come. I would have worried all night about those birds and that snake. “I know,” he said, “that’s why I came.” He was certainly my hero at that moment.

As I went to bed that night, I started to think a little deeper about the whole incident. I thought about how much like those baby birds we truly are. Remember last week, I said the doves represented the Holy Spirit? Maybe it’s more like the Holy Spirit that resides in us. We are the baby birds.

How many times in your life have you known that The Spirit was guiding you towards or away from something? We know this happens to us all the time. Guess what? The Spirit is protecting us, which is like that adult dove that was sitting there watching the whole time. Keeping a watchful eye on the Evil One that will deter us from our destiny. The Evil One in this case was the snake, sneaking up on us ready to devour us or God’s plan for us at least. Trying to find every way possible to get to us to prevent us from completing our mission for Christ, just like that snake was trying every way possible to get to those baby birds! Then, guess who sweeps in and saves the day, our Father! My dad that night represented God. The way that God sweeps in and protects us when The Spirit just isn’t quite enough to save us because usually we won't listen. God comes in and POP! -the Evil One has been backed down from us at the moment. I think God says the same thing to us that Daddy did that night, “I know, that’s why I came.” Saving us time and time again, just when we need him too. Keeping evil away from us so that The Spirit can guide us towards our beautiful, already written destiny- isn’t that incredible? Now you see why I needed to follow up from last week right?! Turns out that old snake and my Daddy coming to save those birds for me was a pecan. I just had to adjust my pecan vision so that I could clearly see the lesson God needed for me to get from it. Maybe you need this lesson too. Maybe you need a reminder that our heavenly Father will swoop in at the perfect time and save us again and again just because He knows.

By the way, those baby birds flew away the very next day- off they went to their own destiny.