Hawks vs Mockingbirds
#soarinsteadofimitate
As I was driving home from a little pampering today, I noticed a beautiful soaring hawk. I love watching hawks as the glide through air currents and just seem to float effortlessly in the sky. This particular hawk had a few moments of frustration and interruptions in his smooth gliding as he was being persistently harrassed, chased and dive-bombed by an annoying little mockingbird.
My mind immediately went to situations I've dealt with recently with certain "mockingbirds" in my life. And, as God often does, He gave me insight and understanding that I desperately need. The more I watched this interaction between these two birds, the more He spoke to my heart.
There will always be people who imitate greatness, believe appearance is everything, and who think their position as the "State Bird of Texas" makes them powerful and untouchable. Then there will be hawks; strong, majestic, beautifully soaring above the fray.
A hawk has a loud screech of a call, but it is used strategically, most often as a warning or greeting to other hawks they care about. A mockingbird, on the other hand, never seems to stop "talking", using every call, noise, or itteration that they think will get the attention of others. Hawks take care of their own, often helping other hawks when looking for prey. Mockingbirds attack pretty much anything around just for fun and are known as one of the most aggressive small birds around. I would venture to say that mockingbirds are the arrogant narcissists of the bird world. All of this got me to thinking about the mockingbirds in our lives; those who chatter a lot, imitating people they deem important, and aggressively going after those who are trying to soar because they feel threatened by their calm majestic focus.
The hawk I was watching, although annoyed, was unbothered, and in an instant could soar to heights the mockingbird could not. The hawk never attacked back, or turned its focus to the little irritating bird. The hawk continued to soar and focused on the hunt for success; a success that was likely important for the hawk and his entire family. Sidenote: hawks mate for life and take care of their own and often hunt with other hawks to help everyone be successful.
In life, there are times when mockingbirds seem to get all the attention simply because they are loud and self-important, aggressive little narcissists. We must continue to be hawks. We must focus on the hunt for our success, for what is right, and soar above the fray. We need to see the mimicking noise of the mockingbirds for what it is: a desperate attempt to look important and to sound important by saying and imitating all the things they have heard from others they think are important. Do not fall for the noise. Do not let the irritation ruffle your feathers. Staying focused, we are called to rise above where the mockingbird cannot follow.
SOAR MY FRIENDS...SOAR BEAUTIFULLY AND MAJESTICALLY ABOVE THE FRAY.
You will be noticed either way, but it is up to you to determine how and why you are noticed. No amount of mocking or chatter or aggression will ever make a mockingbird a hawk.
Blessed More Than I Deserve,
Stephanie
Written by: Stephanie Rieper
Photo by: Jason Stewart, Birdwatching Magazine, taken on March 14, 2020 6:05 pm
