Red Bird

This wasn't the first time but the second time. The first time, I couldn't get my pager out in time to take the picture. A couple days later, I drove through the same place where the bird first played with our passenger mirror. Lo and behold, the bird came back again and play with the mirror!! This time, I was able to get my pager out and do a "freeze-frame" of this beautiful bird.

What's interesting about this is I was driving in my red Chevrolet 300M. My guess would be that this bird fell in love with this red 300M! I have never experience anything like this before. A bird that comes to our car, twice and on a different day!! Awesome!! Or perhaps, this bird was trying to tell us something as if it is a prophet! Perhaps, we're doing something we're not supposed to do?? ;)

This reminds me of Balaam's Donkey in Numbers 22-26.. An interesting history in the Old Testament where Balaam was on his way to see Balak, king of Moab. God had already told Balaam not to accept anything from Balak because God has already blessed Israel abundantly. God is on Israel's side, not Balak's. Balak wants to put a curse on Israel so he summoned Balaam, the prophet of God. Balak had done just about everything he could to get Balaam to place a curse on Israel by bribing him with gold, silver. Balaam couldn't do anything but the Lord had already commanded him that he is to do nothing! This drove Balak mad!

Later, Balaam got on a donkey and went on his way to see Balak again. As the Balaam and the donkey rode on, an angel of the Lord stood in front of the donkey. Only the donkey can see the angel, not Balaam. Balaam began beating the donkey three times to make it move but the donkey stood still in fear of the angel. Balaam kept on beating the donkey and the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" Balaam answered, "You made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" The donkey was trying to help Balaam get out of the "evil way" and get back into the "right way".. But, unfortunately, Balaam doesn't see these things.

Well.. Now, that's interesting. I know this raises eyebrows to those reading for the first time. A talking donkey? I am sure you some of you probably watched a donkey movie, "Ed" in the 60's or 70's. Unrealistic!! Special effects, of course!.. If God can create the world in 6 days, if God opened the Red Sea allowing Israel through from death to life, if God helped Elisha make a heavy axhead float on water, if God can make the sun stand still during one of Israel's battle, if God raises the dead, give sight to the blind, caused a mute and deaf man to talk and hear, then He can make an animal talk!

Balaam did the right thing but later on he did something else on his own. He caused Israel to sin against God. History was recorded. Not a great story but it's a lesson for us all.

"Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality." Revelation 2:14 (niv)

John, whom wrote the book of Revelation after seeing a vision from God, explained about one of the seven churches in Asia. One of the seven churches was blessed by God. The other six were on the verge of losing their blessings from God because of their sins: "first love forsaken in the Ephesian church, the church in Pergamum following the way and teachings of Balaam, the church in Thyatira following the way of Jezebel by misleading God's servants into sexual immorality and eating sacrificed foods, the church in Sardis whom think they are alive in Christ but are spiritually dead, and the church in Laodicea for they are "lukewarm" and Jesus is about to spit them out of His mouth!

"They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey - a beast without speech - who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness." 2 Peter 3:15-16 (niv)

It's unusual for the same bird to come twice and to the same location (passenger side mirror) within a couple of days. Well, "Red Bird", what are you trying to warn me about? It's good to have a warning signs!! They help keep us on the right path!