Woodpecker Perseverance

The woodpecker is relentless on its quest.

I was taking a walk recently and praying for some guidance. It seemed like nothing I was trying to accomplish was succeeding. From financial plans, to job plans, to spiritual issues.

I’m not one of those people who believes that you just pray for something and sit back and wait for God to make it happen. There is certainly a time to be still, but we also have to remember that God is not a genie. We have to do our part too. I was praying and I was trying, but I felt like nothing was working.

I asked God to show me His face, to let me know He was listening and working. I’ve often shared in this space that God sends me hawks when I’m deep in prayer. It has happened too often to be a coincidence and I don’t believe in coincidences where God is concerned anyway.

The atheist sees God in nothing. The believer sees God in everything.

I didn’t see a hawk on my walk, but I wasn’t surprised. I knew God would show Himself in some way that I could understand and He did. When I went to the sink to get a glass of water, a very large red-headed woodpecker, was right outside my window, pecking on a tree. He was way to close for me to miss him.

I smiled and said a prayer of thanks.

Woodpeckers are relentless in their pursuits. If you have ever heard one pecking on a tree, you know they rarely stop to rest and if that tree doesn’t produce, they move on to the next, working just as hard.

My cousin Kay, will also attest that if you get one going after the cedar siding on your house, it’s next to impossible to stop them. They are single-minded when on a quest. They are also protected.

I rarely see woodpeckers in my yard, but I often hear them. I was pondering the nature of the woodpecker as I went upstairs and as I looked out the window across my deck and there the woodpecker stood on the ground, still pecking. It was as if God went out of His way to be sure I didn’t miss it.

I didn’t. That woodpecker reminded me to never give up, to never stop trying my best, to never stop praying, to not get discouraged, to move on to a different pursuit if what I’m working on isn’t producing results, and to persevere no matter what. It also was a gentle reminder that as a child of God, I am protected by my heavenly Father who always has a plan.

The same is true for you. I felt a weight lifted off. I really needed reminding. Perhaps you did too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂