Nature in Action

Yesterday I saw the most amazing thing – nature in action played out in my neighbor’s backyard. A crow had snagged a young robin and a host of robins came to the rescue. Of course there was also a small flock of crows involved trying to distract the robins, but the robins didn’t give up. They were continually dive bombing and harassing the guilty crow and trying to drive away the other crows. The guilty crow with the youngster in it’s feet landed on the yard next door (the three yards together – ours, the one beside us and the one behind them – make a big open space) so I could easily watch it from where I sat at my computer. All the while there was an air battle going on, I watched as the guilty crow tried to kill the youngster while keeping an eye out for the dive bombing robins plus one robin hopping around it, just far enough away to not also be attacked but ready to attack itself, when a robin came in for a dive and got a good peck in on the crow. It caused the crow to lift up off the ground who must have decided to find a safer location to finish the kill but in lifting off the ground lost it’s prey, so flew off. The youngster huddled in the grass which had enough growth to just about hide it. But not to hide it enough because after a short time the crow came back even though there were a couple robins standing guard nearby. That is when I decided to get involved. My presence scattered all the birds but the youngster who looked up at me with eyes that seemed to beg for mercy. Looking him over I didn’t think he had been seriously injured so left him be, but decided to stay nearby pulling weeds. When that little job was done and the youngster was still out in the open with no protection from a swoop and grab of a crow, I figured it was time to move it to some protection of evergreens at the back of the lot. I guess though that just that bit of time had given it a chance to recover some from all the trauma because as I approached it this time it flew into the same evergreens I had chosen for it’s protection.

Shortly after while having my devotions I read this verse: “You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.” Psalm 14:6. I immediate thought of what I’d just seen and realized what a picture I’d just seen of how God provides protection for us when others seem to frustrate our plans.