6 Life-Lessons from the Hummingbird

Last week we had our first hummingbird visit the feeder in our backyard.  Hummingbirds are amazing creatures.  They do everything fast.  They move their wings up to 80 times per second, which produce a humming sound.  Because they move so fast they have a high heart rate, breath rate and body temperature, which requires them to feed often.  These little guys can fly up, down, sideways, forward, backward and upside down.

Hummingbirds use their long bills to get nectar from long/deep flowers.  They have extremely long tongues which allow them to feed deep into flowers and feeders.  There are over 300 species of hummingbirds and 12 of them are found in the U.S.  During the winter they migrate to the tropics of South America.

Watching a hummingbird at a feeder is relaxing.  It's like watching fish in an aquarium.  It amazes me that such a fast moving and hyper bird can actually make you relax.  You would think its fast pace would make you anxious, or nervous, but it actually has the opposite effect.

These little guys are extremely territorial and have been known to chase off much larger birds from their feeding grounds.  Our mean pack of Blue Jays gave up terrorizing our hummingbird after three days.  These little guys pack a punch and guard their homes.

Here's six life-lessons we can learn from the Hummingbird:

1. Use what God has given you for maximum results.  These little guys can fly in ways other birds can't.  How has God wired you to function, live, and prosper in ways others can't?  Celebrate that you are different!  What makes you different from everyone else?  Don't try to be someone else, be the best "you" you can be.
2. Don't settle for less, or give up just because you are "small," or translated: overweight, introverted, extroverted, short, tall, a minority, middle-aged, too young, inexperienced, etc.  
3. Don't let the "big birds" push you around.  Stand your ground!
4. Realize when you bring joy to other people and delight in it.  Our hummingbird will continue to feed while we are sitting on the deck 6 ft. away.  His presence brings joy and stress relief to us.  
5. Enjoy what God has prepared or provided for you.  For hummingbirds it's long-necked, deep flowers that elude other birds, or insects, but not the long bill and tongue of these amazing little creatures.  What has God provided just for you?  Your family, friends, work, environments?  Things people tend to take for granted, or forget their intrinsic value.  Be grateful for them. 
6. Know when to to fly the coup!  Hummingbirds leave when the weather turns and head for the southern tropics of the Western Hemisphere.  Translation:  Everyone needs to get away so don't stay at work too long, or get caught up too deep in the drama of friends/family without taking a break.  Don't get frozen out by non-stop cycle of doing life without taking time to smell the nectar!