There’s a Cuckoo in the Nest

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

I went to water my hanging basket on the front porch.  It was looking very droopy.  I climbed up on the bench and saw the reason for the droopy and flattened plant.  Tucked under the delicate yellow petals was a nest.  Lined with feathers it was a warm place to hatch and rear the next generation.  However, as I peered deeper into the nest I saw an egg that did not match the pale green eggs.  It was larger and brown speckled.  I snapped a quick picture and climbed down.  As I went inside the momma bird returned, scolded me and resettled in her nest.  As I looked at the snapshot I realized this little momma had a cuckoo in the nest. I immediately felt sad for her; her little family was in danger.  The unsuspecting songbird pair will work tirelessly to feed and nurture the imposter, completely unaware of what it is doing to their family.

Cuckoos hatch earlier than the other chicks and in most cases either push the other eggs out or starve out the chicks by obtaining all the mother and father’s attention. This particular egg belonged to a cowbird, a much larger species of bird.  The cowbird egg was being incubated to destroy all the parents had worked for and end a whole generation. 

I think that we are guilty of nurturing cuckoos in our hearts. A seed of discontent, anger, self-pity, maybe unforgiveness. These cuckoos are not of God but destroyers sent by our enemy.  We feed those cuckoos until they push out our joy, steal our gratitude and fill us with anger and pain.  Unfortunately, for those song birds they could not tell the difference between their eggs and another’s however we are able to distinguish the emotions and seeds that are from God or our enemy. Ultimately we chose what we nurture and what we reject.  

Do you have a cuckoo in your heart?  

Typist for Jesus