The Patriot Post® · A Story of Two Birdfeeders

Life’s lessons, changes of perspectives, and affirmations sometimes appear from the most unexpected sources. The story of two birdfeeders caused me to go deep. I had to think about what it spoke to me. I am a fair man. It would be unfair to keep this to myself.

One of our nearest neighbors lives directly across a small courtyard from us. Our porches are a short distance apart. During this last summer, my wife and the neighbor coincidentally purchased new birdfeeders at about the same time. They were quite different in design. At the time, I did not give their differences much thought.

It was summer. Nature was doing a good job feeding the birds. My wife, Barbara, is very practical in some ways. Therefore, she did not fill the birdfeeder during those warm months. Occasionally, the neighbor filled her birdfeeder and I observed that the birds swarmed it.

I like birds. I confess that I was a little jealous. The neighbor had a bunch of birds, jockeying for positions on her feeder. We had nothing. They were all on the other side of the courtyard.

However, I trust my wife’s instincts and her generally practical nature. When the right time came, she would fill the birdfeeder and all would be well. Well, I have to confess again. I was a little worried. It was the difference in the design of the two birdfeeders.

You see, the neighbor’s birdfeeder was more or less a tube with little portholes on it. There were also little perches under the ports. Birds could land on the perches and peck the birdseed out of the ports. It was easy access.

Most readers know more about birdfeeders than I do. Right now you are saying, “Oh yeah, that is how many are designed.” Well, my wife’s birdfeeder will probably not surprise you either, but it was worrying me.

Barbara’s birdfeeder was exactly like our neighbor’s, except the tube with holes and perches was inside a cage-like, outer structure. Could the birds get to the seed? I did not lose sleep, but I did mention my concern for the birds to Barbara. She smiled and told me not to worry.

Winter came. Barbara filled her birdfeeder with seed.

Yesterday morning was cool. I stood on the porch for a while and watched the birds swarming the neighbor’s feeder. Ours was ignored. It was clear that easy access versus difficult access makes that difference.

Like the TV hucksters say, “But wait, that’s not all!”

This morning was very cold. The temperature was below 20 degrees. Still, it is my habit to “take some air” each morning. I bundled up and headed out. You know what I found. It is OK to laugh.

Indeed, the neighbor’s birdfeeder was empty of seed and ignored by all the birds. The smallest of the birds were at Barbara’s feeder. They would dart in, take a few pecks at the seed, and dart away to our big, Blue Spruce tree for safety. Then they would go back again.

Yesterday, the larger more aggressive birds would frequently drive the small ones away from our neighbor’s feeder. The big birds ate their fill and the little birds did not.

However, the cage wires on Barbara’s feeder kept the big birds out and let the little birds in. Now, when things were really tough, the little birds could eat.

Back indoors, I had to ask Barbara if she purposefully chose the cage design feeder. The answer was no. She said that she had not even thought about it. And she further explained that when I had expressed doubts, she intuitively knew it would work out.

The observations really did cause me to think. I went to my quiet place and began. Perhaps there was something there to write about.

What was the take-away from my birdfeeder observations? Well, besides the fact that worry is often a waste and preconceived conclusions are often wrong.

Analogies to fat cats and little people in society came to mind. There were also some rather loose thoughts about welfare states disturbing the natural order of things. But those did not fit my natural order of thinking about the birdfeeders.

Here is what I got: One birdfeeder would feed some birds. Another birdfeeder would feed some other birds. But there was only one solution to feed all the birds. And that was two birdfeeders. It was the one comprehensive solution.

America needs a comprehensive solution to our current dilemma. Our nation’s debt and a looming currency crisis have us on the “edge of destruction.” Approximately half the people do not pay taxes and want more of everything. Corporations and individual taxpayers pay too much tax. Too much tax kills the economy and we spiral closer to destruction. The inequity and the president’s maniacal social engineers have increased the problems at every turn.

Trying so solve the problems with party politics is hopeless. People will always vote themselves a big chunk of other people’s money, if offered. It is a moral issue. Politicians will always offer such free access to the national treasury to gain the votes. It is a moral issue.

There is only one comprehensive solution to the core problem of feeding all the birds, uh people. There is only one solution to the deficits, debt, and sagging currency value.

“One Nation, Under God” –Pledge of Allegiance

Only God can change the hearts and minds of all the people, as needed. America needs a spiritual/moral revival. It must come first, in the supernatural, spiritual order of things. All other needful things will follow.

The Creator, who endowed us with, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, can restore these things. We have let them slip from our grasp. We have allowed the religions of Atheism, Socialism, Secularism and even extreme Liberalism to separate our nation from God. Perhaps the trials we face today are the prelude to His Judgment. But it is never too late.

If we desire revival, we must ask for it. Let us all pray, “Lord, send a revival, and let it begin in me.”

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” –Isaiah 59:1

“So tell me why you do it over and over and over again congressmen. You have brought us all to the edge of destruction.” –Anton D. Rehling