Traveling down the interstate for holiday travels, we passed so many dead hawks along the side of the road. It was so bizarre how many there would be in just a one mile span. I couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around how that was even a problem. How could that hawk not spot the vehicle coming? How could they not fly out of the way fast enough?
After being home for a few days after the holiday rush was through, we were driving into town on a country road when all the the sudden a red hawk flew right in front of our car just out of no where and barely missed our front bumper by inches! My husband even hit the brakes and braced for the hit but to our surprise and shock he avoided the impact in just the nick of time. My mind instantly went back to all those hawks that we had seen along the side of the road within the prior month.
I began to think about the vision of the hawk. Studies show that the red hawks have a very sharp eyesight that is up to 8 times better than a human’s. They are able to spot their small prey as tiny as a mouse in a field from 100 feet in the air. My question is this: if they have such good eyesight then how are they missing seeing the danger of the car coming at them?
I believe the answer is this:
They get so focused on their prey (what they want) that they miss the danger in getting it.
They get so focused on what they want that they forget to look out for the possible danger that may be present in getting what they desire.
This has struck a heart string of mine these last few days. I have desires and goals for this new year but I want to make sure that I keep my perspectives in the right places.
The story in Genesis chapter 3 is of Adam and Eve and how they took the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. It began with Eve being the first to partake. Verse 6 talks of how she saw the tree and how good it was, how pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired of that she took the fruit and did eat and gave it to Adam. Eve’s first mistake was listening to the serpent. Her second mistake was setting her focus on the forbidden things. That action costed her and Adam. It impacted the whole world for eternity. All because she got her focus on the wrong thing. Instead of viewing how wonderful Eden was and all the other beauty that she was surrounded by, she instead turned to view the forbidden.
In this new year I want to make sure I keep my focus on the right things. Turn my eyes to see how big God is instead of how big my problems seem. Keep my eyes of the negative and set them on the positive. I want my vision set on the goodness of God in-spite of the trials and hard times.
I pray to keep my priorities in line with the Word of God and take heed to His will and plan for the new year. I don’t want to get so trapped in what I want that I miss to check and see if it’s what God wants for me. Because just like that red hawk, what I want could effect my livelihood. I want to be careful, be watchful, and vigilant. That adversary is out there trying to destroy. I want to be ever watchful and let God guide my steps this new year.
It’s not about what I want, but about what He wants for me.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
I Peter 5:8
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