Bites on the Fly!

As I mowed the grass this week, I was so mesmerized by the barn swallows that swooped and dived in front of my mower. In late April I began to see just a few as they migrated back to this area. For us this is a sign that spring is on the way. They set up housekeeping in a barn near us but they dine on our bugs as we mow. Today I tried to take a picture but myself or my shudder speed were fast enough. I took a few pictures that looked like a speck in the sky. I thought I could get a picture because they dip so close to the mower that I could almost touch them. One of the things I read about them is that they are aerial foragers, as it sounds, they eat on the fly. There is no air show that could equal their antics as they do their acrobatics in order to get their dinner. I just went through a time that I was an aerial forager. I ate my spiritual food on the run, I talked with God constantly but when it came to reading my bible and meditating on it I was like the little barn swallow just grabbing what I could grab quickly. I collected bits and pieces that kept me from starving spiritually but I, by no means, felt full or satisfied. I was talking to God but I was not listening to him completely because I was not hearing his voice through his word. For several months now I have been feasting on his word and not foraging on the fly and my heart is well fed. My little friends will follow me all summer as I mow but as the colder winds blow we will see fewer and fewer until they are all gone. I will miss the wonders of God but will always remember the lesson I learned from their dining habits.

The picture above was taken by my sister-in-law several years ago. These little guys were in her garage. Thanks Patty!



Known in Eurasia simply as 'the swallow,' the Barn Swallow is a distinctive bird with bold plumage and a long, slender, deeply forked tail. Barn Swallows are deep blue above, with an orange-buff breast and belly. They have russet throats and forehead patches. The rest of the head is deep blue, extending in a line through the eye, giving the birds a masked appearance. Females are slightly duller and shorter-tailed than males. Juveniles look similar to adults, but have much shorter tails.