Encounters
(By: Deborah Durrett)
Life is full of encounters. Having been taught to give others the benefit of the doubt until there was a strong reason to question people and situations, I am more inclined to listen but not come to a quick conclusion. If there is not enough information, then more should be gathered-particularly after a brief encounter. With birdwatching, it is normal to gather intel over the course of several quick rendezvous. In the last ten days, I had occasion to cross paths with one of the many hawks frequenting our area, with some very similar features. With the crossover in size, shape, and color, I was left with doubt about my initial impression of it being a Red-tailed hawk.
“If you judge other people, then you will find that you, too, are being judged. Indeed, you will be judged by the very standards to which you hold other people.”Matthew 7:1-2 VOICE
The first sighting was noticed by my husband as we took our first lap during a neighborhood walk. The bird appeared to be standing at attention-almost looked like a statue. It was next to the front of a group of azaleas that resembled a hedge, just beneath the front windows of the house. With no time for a photo, I scanned it with my eyes, trying to note color and size in my mind, in order to check my Merlin Birding APP after we returned. All indicators then pointed toward at least four possible hawks. The second interlude was actually a flyby – and nearly a collision – as the bird flew at a semi-downward trajectory and then rolled a bit, to slide between myself and a neighbor, as we chatted out front of our house. If we had not each taken a step – her to her side and me back a bit – one of us may have made contact with it. This added a clue of a potential juvenile bird working on flight patterns. The wingspan also helped narrow down the options of the main four hawks around here. But we still did not have enough information to reach a conclusion. The third approach was an audible cry, clearly from a bird of prey. We sat on our deck while having a hot morning beverage, and the distinctive and boisterous“kik kik kik” or “kek kek kek” had me standing to my feet, looking for a visual on what I knew was a Sharp-shinned hawk. To come to the most plausible conclusion, I needed to have as many pertinent facts as possible through methodically paying attention to details with each encounter.
“Beloved, let us [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience].” 1 John 4:7 AMP
Similarly, when we interact with others as representatives of God’s teaching (particularly those who know Christ and follow Him, but also in a similar spirit with those who have yet to know Him), we should seek wisdom to relay the right knowledge at the right moment, to leave others with a taste of the hope of the salvation God wants to impart to His children. Keep in mind that sometimes, it is not always words from the mouth, but actions that witness to others. Also, at times, it is much easier said than done, yet if we do our level best to be kind and not jump to conclusions without facts in evidence, then we can be the best witness possible at perhaps a very difficult time for another person.
Birds do not take things personally as humans can and will. And I have had some family situations that made the front page of a local paper more than once, so on some level, I know how messy and challenging living can be. What I have taken from those situations is that sometimes, we need to step into someone else’s shoes for a minute, and consider how a misplaced comment about another’s life could affect them down the road. And when we take things out of context, we can get it all wrong.
Then there are also scenarios we experience firsthand, that develop in such a way that it is quite clear there is a problem needing a solution-a ‘red-flag’ serious thing, but we are not necessarily to be in the midst of it. If we need to, we should call for professional assistance. Additional scenarios without direct knowledge are those for which we must “wait and see,” and if you pray, do so! Some relationships that were once meaningful, or did not go further, happen that way for a reason. So if someone shows you signs of that not being a good idea, believe it – and let it go.
“If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that ‘every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,’ as the scripture says. And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector.” (Deuteronomy 19:18 NIVUK describes this as a false witness/liar.) Matthew 18:15-17 GNT
Hopefully, we can spend more of our lives encouraging and caring for people on many levels – as friends, co-workers, survivors of various situations, loved ones and neighbors. It is my goal to make every encounter count! Join me, please. 😊
“Help each other with your troubles. When you do this, you are obeying the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to do this, you are only fooling yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Just look at your own work to see if you have done anything to be proud of. You must each accept the responsibilities that are yours.” Galatians 6:2-5 ERV