A short time ago a friend posted a status on her Facebook page about her experience watching hummingbirds fluttering around her backyard while it was raining. Not knowing a great deal about hummingbirds, I wondered if what she witnessed was a common occurrence or a rare occasion.
My investigation into hummingbird behavior led me to the answer. They do fly and feed in the rain. Hummingbirds could very well visit up to one thousand flowers a day so they don’t necessarily retreat in tree branches or under large leaves in order to stay dry during a shower. Interesting too, according to hummingbird enthusiasts, is that these sprightly creatures not only gather around feeders and flowers during a light shower but are also known to do so during a downpour when the wind is blowing.
Another fact unknown by me is that the wings of the hummingbird can beat from sixty to eighty beats per second during normal flight, and since their wings rotate rather than flap, they are the only bird that can fly forwards, backwards, up, down, upside-down and sideways as well as hover in mid-air.
Humans have long looked to the eagle as a symbol of strength, courage and bravery. Scripture tells us that we can “mount up with wings as eagle,” but we can also look much closer to the ground for inspiration. At times, life’s weather systems bring the rains of sorrow or the winds of uncertainty. During these times, we would do well to learn from the hummingbird. We must hum in the midst of, and in spite of the rain. And, when adversity arises, fly in the direction necessary to maneuver over and around it.
Let this be the day that you begin humming in the rain. Allow the notes to resonate as you trust in your heavenly father to sustain you regardless of the weather!
Blessings!
