Cow Bird Lessons

There are a lot of critters that share the farm.  Some I expected to meet when the farm became home to this old man who had spent most of his life surrounded by other houses rather than wide open spaces.  There are squirrels, and rabbits, snakes, an occasional armadillo, and the slow moving opossum.  But, it is not only the ground creatures which abound, but also those who spend much time in the air.  Over the years I have learned to delight in seeing new birds and learning their unique sounds.  One bird which is not hard to identify is the cow bird.   

Ornitholgy calls the common cow bird an eqret, or a heron, but it is always called a cow bird around here because it is mostly seen riding on the backs of the cows in the pasture as they move from one grazing spot to another.  They eat ticks and other bugs as they ride and when not riding, they forage for the smaller crawling critters on the ground.    Everything seems to have its place around here in the creation.  And, everything is connected in some way to all that is around it.   

This lesson of being connected to the creation all around us is something that often seems to be lost to those of us who should be smart enough to figure it out; yet, who often seem intent on living and doing as if the whole world centers around us.  God did not put us here to be at the center of the creation.  Such is His place.  Ours is to be a part of it, to live mindful that other living things are important and have their place as well, and to live in such a way that our purpose for being here is always in view before us as we go into our unfolding life.  It might be said that cow birds bring glory to God by being a cow bird and it is surely true that we bring glory to God when we are intent on being who He created us to be.