Being home is great. Sometimes a little crazy, but still great. I'll explain. I don't exactly understand the love that older folks have for birds. Let me clarify the word older, "anyone with more years behind them than me." My mother for instance is 98 years old. She is thrilled by birds. I don't get it. Honestly, birds, especially when they come close, tend to creep me out. They have eyes on the sides of their head. When they look at you it's with just one eye. What's the other eye looking at? It's like the T-Rex in Jurassic Park! And, they're equipped with a weapon right between those eyes! They're just tiny dinosaurs that would peck and eat you if they were bigger. (By the way, your cat is a tiny tiger, so think about that!) Anyway, here at home, my mom loves birds. So much that she has about 25 bird feeders in her yard! She has actually changed the migratory route for some species. Word has gotten out to the flocks that if you can't make it to Mexico when the weather gets cold, just stop at Melba's house and hold up for the winter. My mother has trash cans full of bird feed and almost every kind of feeder that has ever been made. The reason for that, is that for Christmas, people give her bird feeders. Lots and lots of feeders. When you're 98 years old, first of all, that's lots and lots of years, and that's lots and lots of Christmas' and, well you get it, a whole bunch of feeders! She has an Elvis feeder, at least I think it's Elvis. His hair is white from all of the bird....uh, fall out. I guess it could be Santa with a guitar. She has a wooden feeder that looks like a metal barn. She has a metal feeder that looks like a wooden barn. She has trash can lids nailed upside down to posts. There are Victorian style feeders, church style feeders, contemporary style feeders, single level feeders, multi level feeders, feeders with doors, feeders with windows! She has a feeder that has a feeder IN IT! Forrest Gump would be thrilled. Me, not so much. I'm just not a fan of the birds. And here's one of the problems with the bird thing,.. SQUIRRELS. That's right. Those cute little furry rodents with fuzzy tails. They love bird seed. All kinds of of bird seed. All of mother's feeders are under trees. The squirrels are like tiny ninjas. They drop from the trees and eat all the bird seed. In the process, they wreck the feeders. Doors are ripped off, perches are broken, glass is smashed, and Elvis has been climbed on so many times that he now looks like he's kneeling and praying for a hound dog to chase the squirrels.
So the phone rings and I hear my mother say, "Come over quick and shoot these squirrels!" Well, I don't shoot much these days. Now I'd probably shoot a bird, because , once again, they creep me out, but not much else. So I politely declined from helping mom diminish the cute little animal population. So she got a little upset and vowed that if no one was going to help her, she was going to kill those squirrels herself, regardless of what it took. "OK mom, do what you have to do." Be careful what you give your 98 year old mother permission to do!
The next day I go over to her house to check on her. Her entire back porch is made up of windows that raise and lower. Every window was raised that faced the "feeders." In all of the window sills of all of the windows were all of the knives that the woman owns. Butcher knives, steak knives, potato knives, butter knives, swiss army knives. Whatever had a blade in her kitchen, was lined up in the windows. She had a chair pulled up to the glass and she was stalking the enemy. She turned to me when I came in with a wild look in her eye. Not both of her eyes, just one. After all she is 98. I asked, "What on earth are you doing?!" She said, "I'm killing me some squirrels." I said, "Mother, I've got a feeling that the "rest home" is full of people who have said those very same words!" I asked her, "Have you killed any yet"?
She said, "I'm not sure, but I think I cut off one of em's tail!"
I asked, "Are you happy with that?"
"No," she said, "Cause I've lost three knives!"
We cleaned up the yard, glued and hammered feeders back together and found most of the knives. There was a partial furry tail under a tree and Elvis's hair is no longer white, it's missing. Mother must have scalped him in the massacre. I guess mom's better with a knife that I thought.
I've been traveling on the road for a total of thirty-seven years now. The Lord has taken us so many places to minister. Sometimes I think I've seen every weird thing you can imagine in the towns where I've gone to serve. But then I come home and find that all the wonderful craziness I need can be found right here! Home is good. I hope that you can find a little of "home" this Christmas. Wherever you may be, I pray God will bring comfort and give you time with those that you love so much and sweet memories of those who have gone on before. That the peace that passes understanding will cover you and and prevail in your heart this Christmas season. We have great cause for rejoicing because unto us a Child was born and a Savior has come. His name is Jesus. If you have been away from the Lord this year, then I urge you to come home. Being back home with the Father is the best.
Thank you for your prayers this year as we shared the good news of Jesus across our nation. Thank you for your financial help. We have no means of support other than from those who care for our ministry. Your gift is so appreciated. We promise to use it to further the kingdom of God. Your gift is tax deductible and a receipt will be sent to you for your taxes. Our mailing address is: David Crain New Life Ministries, PO Box 277, Grand Saline, TX 75140. You may also give online at this web-site if you so desire.
Please keep up with us here at www.davidcrain.com. Come and see us if we are close by. Betty is five years out from her cancer diagnosis and is doing well. Thank you for lifting her up. We treasure every day that God gives us.
Gotta go now. Betty is saying something about buying a bird feeder and I need to sharpen a few knives. They'll probably work on birds too!