I watched as a male Cardinal perched on the top rail holding our hummingbird feeders. Soon he was joined by a female Cardinal. The male was standing tall, but the female landed crouching low with her head down and looking up at the male. He gave her a glance but nothing more. Then she hopped over beside him and he took off into the woods.
In my imagination I put conversation to their actions.
Female, “Hey, honey. We can still lay some more eggs and have some more babies before summer is over.”
Male, “Are you crazy, woman?”
Or,
Female, “What are you doing sitting here!? Where is the food for our chicks!?”
Male, “Oh, sorry, I forgot.”
I have no idea what the communication was between these two cardinals. I’m not even sure there was any conversation, but it sure did seem there was some.
I don’t speak Cardinal. So it is rather foolish for me to think I know what they were saying.
But how often do I put words in the mouths of other people? I see two people talking and I just know they must be talking about me and what they are saying is not good.
But the most serious of all is when I put words in God’s mouth. From my thoughts and imagination I decide what He would say and what He would have me to do. All of this without ever opening His word spoken to me. Or, opening His word and reading it to find the meaning I want rather than striving to actually hear what He is saying.
That is not just a “crazy bird.” That is eternally tragic.