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What is Your Diet?
The hummingbird and
the vulture have several things in common; both have feathers, wings
and beaks, and both birds live on special diets that cause them to
fly with an eye for their next meal. Vultures live on rotting meat,
feeding on the dead; the very thought of eating a dead, rotting
animal would sicken you and me, but the vulture sees a banquet.
I've never taken a
“vulture survey,” but I would guess that vultures never see the
beauty of living things. Their flight above the earth allows them
to see whatever they choose, but their diet causes them to see dead,
decaying animals; they live in the past.
Hummingbirds are
not attracted to the smell of dead animals; they look for colorful f lowers
and thrive on the sweet nectar. They may fly over dead animals, but
they look for and find living, vibrant plants; they live in the
present.
People tend to behave
in very similar ways. Just like vultures, there are those who look
for the darker, gloomier things of life; they live in communities
filled with both good and bad people, but they tend to see the bad.
They cannot see the positive traits of those around them because
they are focused on finding flaws. People with “vulture vision” can
remember every minute detail of traumatic events and every slight
that comes their way. Thriving on these kinds of things, they hold
onto enough bad memories to satisfy their hunger any time they wish
to dwell on rotten thoughts.
Others, like
hummingbirds, overlook flaws and see the good in people around
them. They have little memory for the bad times of life because
they are more focused on the joy of the moment. They refuse to
allow the smell of rotten people and events to ruin their day. One
of the major factors leading to this behavior is the ability to
forgive.
Paul admonished in
Philippians 4:8 --
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is
right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about
such things.”
Christians are
encouraged to develop “hummingbird vision,” so they can look for and
find beauty rather than filth. |
