This week I received a notice of an upcoming migration of hummingbirds as they prepare to winter in Central America. Massive numbers of hummingbirds will fly from northern latitudes, and their flight paths will bring them through our area in the next 6-8 weeks. I am eager to see it.

Every morning when I return from my dawn walk through the nearby neighborhoods, I grab a final cup of coffee and park on my back porch. There I can see the entire yard, including two bird feeders and the array of trees that fill my “back 40” at the house. And after I have settled and stilled to pray and listen, I hear a familiar chirp and buzz. When I open my eyes, a hummingbird is usually hovering about 4 feet from my eyes. Once he checks me out, he zooms to the feeder and flowers that hold the nectar for which he thirsts.

But instead of settling in order to drink, he is constantly looking around to defend his territory. He is distracted and chases away other birds, often failing to drink more than a 2-second sip. Sometimes he is so preoccupied that he spends all his energy chasing and has virtually none left at the feeder to drink. He is too distracted to dine.

It makes me wonder, “Am I too distracted by my schedule, my obligations, and my busyness to pause and dine on God’s Word and presence? Oh, I can quickly scan Scripture, intercede for a couple of people, but do I really dine? So I have sought to be more consistent in walking because I leave my phone, AirPods, and music behind in order to create more space and silence for “dining” with my Heavenly Father. I listen more. I know it’s good for my cardiovascular health, but I’ve come to believe it’s even healthier for my spiritual health. I don’t want to be too distracted to dine, looking as frantic and nonsensical as the Ruby Throat that spends his life chasing competitors rather than feeding his body.