TIRED

 It's not quite spring here in Harrison, Arkansas, but you wouldn't know it for the beautiful spring like weather.  Only a few days ago we had a beautiful snow that covered the surrounding area with a wonderful blanket of white.  Since my mother's death in late October of last year, I've been keeping a watchful eye on my 86 year old father.  I go to his house every morning to ensure he's alive, to medicate him, and feed him.  Every morning we sit at the breakfast nook and watch the birds as they devour the morning supply of birdseed I throw out for them.  I try to keep the birdbath filled but it got cracked during one of the really cold days we had this winter. It doesn't hold water for more than an hour, but it is long enough for the sparrows, and wrens to enjoy a quick splash.  As I watch the parade of birds it becomes apparent that the sparrows don't stand much of a chance against their larger cousins like robins, doves, starlings, and then of course the bluebird, which is really a bully.  Dad and I watch this show every morning because my Mom enjoyed it so much. It goes a long way to connecting us since her passing.  He often remarks about the little finches that they were mom's favorite.  Occasionally a hummingbird will fly in and enjoy their special feeder, only to be frightened away as other birds zip in and out.  It is a fascinating spectacle that plays out amidst the cruelty of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and a host of other world crisis that fill our news feeds, and media.  

I'm tired of the bloodshed. More so now, than I've ever been before.  Having just passed my 67th year upon this vale, I've seen more war than I care to see.  As a member of the Air Force during the 80's, and early nineties, I even helped to make war. This is something I'm not proud of anymore.  Actually, I often think to myself that no army in this world should contain men under the age of 60.  There is a wisdom in years, that knows there are no real winners in a war.  Yet, here we are facing the threat of another world war whose roots can be found in the stupidity of generations past.  

I'm tired of bullies like Putin, who take what they want, and deprive others of what they need all in the interest of something that is transitory at best.  Just within this week I've heard Putin invoke the threat of nuclear war, and China somehow invoked the same threat in it's measured march to invade Taiwan.  Every news media report I watch or read, seems to fear the Russian threat of Nuclear war.  Where is the response from our leaders?  We didn't threaten Russia with nuclear war.  We haven't threatened China with Nuclear war.  These are like the robins and blue jays that attack the little sparrows trying to get at the abundant supply of feed I've thrown out to them.  

I'm tired of the suffering of civilians no matter where they're at, being caught in the cross-hairs of some demented mind trying to subjugate others to their will.  I'm tired of it all, and I long for someone to stand up to their cruelty.  You see, as tired as I am of the bloodshed, and war, it is painfully obvious that those who wield power, want more.  What are we to do?  How can good men do something?  How can the gentle of heart withstand the cruelty of the bloodthirsty?  At what point do good men wishing to defend goodness become just as brutal as those who begin a conflict?  There was a time in our nation's history when we were forgiving to those who launched attacks against us.  Germany, Japan, Russia, and even China eventually benefited from American good will once a conflict was over.  

Ukraine was never a physical threat to Russia, but Ukraine has vast quantities of oil both in their borders, and offshore.  Add to that, they also have a warm water port that Russia needs if it is to become a dominant world power again.  This is the 'seed' that Putin wants, and because he can intimidate, and threaten with the most terrifying power on earth, he will probably get it.  It is a matter of historical fact, that the powerful can never have enough power. I'm tired of that being the course of human history.  Putin isn't the only one with nuclear weapons, and perhaps President Biden should man up and remind Putin and Xi of that.  I was in elementary school that last time a President actually stood up to a bully.  Is there a threat of nuclear war?  Yes, but do you really think Putin would do it?  Are we playing poker, or chess? 

You see, as I watch the drama playing out in the media, I'm reminded that cruelty exists even in the innocent lives of sparrows.  The other day I saw something I'd never seen before. I watched a Robin strutting up to the feed box, and drive away the little sparrows that were eating there. It made me so angry I reached over and tapped on the window. The robin flew off, but the sparrows stayed there unaffected.  If we would learn one simple lesson from the sparrow that lives in the shelter of the Almighty, war would be far from us. If we would place more value on doing good, instead of getting good, we would find our rest in the nurture and care of the Most High.  The blue-jays, the robins, the mockingbirds, had nothing until I threw out the food for them.  There is plenty, and will continue to be plenty from a hand that has nothing to gain from their petty little squabbles.  Everything we enjoy upon this earth comes from the Father's hands.  Every good gift is his desire for us.  When every last drop of oil is pumped from beneath our feet, we will find another way to live out our days until this universe is rolled up like a scroll, and put away.  I'm tired of people who don't understand that.