I was on my way home today when my family and I started to notice hawks… lots of hawks! In about an hour’s time we counted approximately 30 or so hawks along the interstate, in three states… AR, MO and TN! I have watched hawks all my life and often on this same stretch of road where I grew up… the way they always seem to be on guard, yet how graceful they seem when they are floating on air above the ground… how the swoop down at an alarming speed when they have spotted that one thing they cannot live without! How even when they are at rest on a fence post or on a tree limb they are ever vigilant, ever watchful. However in all the years I have traveled in this area I don’t remember ever seeing this many at one time. Or in this case today how close some of these hawks were to each other… some of them just a few feet from each other! I also saw something I have never seen before… two hawks side by side… I have read hawks mate for life, but to see two of these beautiful creatures side by side was awesome! I am not sure I could explain my fascination with hawks, there is just something so regal almost spiritual about how they appear and how they carry themselves.
Let me back up for a minute before I continue on about the hawks today…I recently had the privilege of seeing a beautiful bald eagle between Union City and Newbern, TN along the highway just sitting atop a tree watching the world go by! He was definitely out of place and to see one in this area is rare… there are some close by at Reelfoot Lake but even then you have to be really looking to find them. This eagle was in the same place facing the same way with it’s back to the road when I passed it going north and again when I passed it an hour later heading back south toward home. It appeared so regal atop the tree watching with single mindedness this stretch of field it was focused on. Just like the hawks it never appeared to turn to the right or the left and or acknowledging all the traffic just a few yards away…
Now back to the hawks… as my family and I were counting and watching all these hawks… I kept hearing… watchmen on the wall… the watchmen are gathering, the watchmen are gathering…and it hit me suddenly that as watchmen on the wall for the Kingdom we to are to be just as dedicated as this eagle to his watch and these hawks along the road. We are not to look to the right or the left…we are not to be distracted by the noise and the rush of traffic that passes us in this world!
I believe this next season is a coming together of the watchmen of the Kingdom. Are we going to willing to lay aside and go to our post and be the alert, on guard and obedient to what GOD is calling us to in this New Year? Are we going to shut out the distractions of the traffic and the noises of the world and focus on that one thing we can’t live without… the will of our FATHER and not let go till we have it in our grasp? Are we willing to be satisfied with our post and our watch and stop craving others? Some of us will sit quietly and simply pray, some of us will sound the alarm to warn of the enemies approach, some of us will be part of the tactical unit and help plan the battle, some of us will provide the arms and the means to fight the battle and some will be called to lead the battle! Are we able like the eagle and the hawk to find our post sit and wait till our time and talent is needed and called upon… are we willing to work together to create a whole army of watchmen and warriors or will we be as a buzzard and simply swarm around dead things trying to feed on others leftovers in our jealousy and laziness… and the true watchmen gather!
“Sound the alarm
Awaken the watchmen
Open their ears
Let their voices be loud”
(Holy Visitation)
