Be a Hummingbird

Birds can teach us a powerful lesson about life.

Buzzards spend their days circling the skies, searching for things that are already dead. They are drawn to decay and ruin. It is their nature. No matter how many beautiful flowers are blooming beneath them, no matter how much new life is sprouting in the fields, the buzzard sees none of it. Its eyes are fixed only on what is lifeless.

Hummingbirds, however, live very differently. They are constantly in motion, searching for vibrant blossoms. They look for what is living, colorful, and sweet. The hummingbird’s whole existence is about seeking and savoring nectar. Even in a dry land, they somehow manage to find the flowers.

People can be much the same. Some of us live like buzzards, always circling, always finding what is wrong, always talking about what is broken. Others live like hummingbirds, seeking beauty, focusing on what is life-giving, choosing to savor the blessings of each day.

The Bible tells us, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light," Matthew 6:22 ESV

What we choose to look for determines what fills our hearts. If we search for bitterness, failure, and disappointment, we will find it! But if we search for God’s goodness, His mercies, and His beauty, we will find those too.

Philippians 4:8 spells it out: "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." ESV

That does not mean ignoring pain or pretending problems do not exist. Life has real struggles. Buzzards serve a purpose in cleaning up what is decayed, but that is not how we are called to live. We are invited to set our minds on things above, to cultivate gratitude, to look for the sweetness of God’s promises even in hard seasons.

So maybe the question is simple: Am I living like a buzzard or like a hummingbird?

Do I look for what is dead and wrong, or for what is alive and good?

Do I circle endlessly over disappointment, or do I seek out the sweetness of God’s

presence?

Do I bring heaviness into conversations, or do I add lightness and joy?

I think we have all heard the Native American story about two wolves inside of each of us. The stronger one is the one we feed. The truth is, every one of us has a little buzzard and a little hummingbird inside. The one that wins is the one we feed.

Today, I want to be a hummingbird. I want to find the sweetness in God’s promises, the beauty in His creation, the joy in small blessings. I want my eyes to be drawn toward life, not death.

And maybe, if enough of us choose that way of living, the world around us will feel a little brighter too.

Have a good day; and be more like a hummingbird!