Monday, January 25, 2021

He Rules the Roost

 


. . . which God will bring about in his own time - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and might forever.  Amen. ~1 Timothy 6:15-16

If you've followed my blog for some time, you probably recall the photo above.  It's a mother turkey with her young one making another of their many visits to our yard to partake of the birdseed we scatter on the ground.  How we love it when they drop by!  They add an extra aspect of delight to our day.

Sadly, sometime in 2020, mama bird passes away, leaving a now grown son to fend for himself.  And by the looks of him in this photo, he's done pretty well!


We call this guy Major Tom from the lyrics made famous by David Bowie.  And although he doesn't frequent our yard anymore, he has boldly claimed an area in our neighborhood for his sole territory.  Not only that, but this either insanely stupid or incredibly crafty bird has decided that he is immune to the threat of oncoming vehicles.

I can't begin to describe how many times I'm wheeling out of the neighborhood only to find Major Tom smack dab in the middle of the road.  Not even an angry car horn phases him!  Instead, it seems to lure him even closer to the car.  No doubt, this turkey thinks he rules the roost, and will go to great lengths to prove it.

So, when my husband, Danny, spies this post on Facebook from the Kennesaw City Police, I simply have to share their hilarious description and photos of their recent encounter with this feathered perp.

Today on Moon Station Rd., we rolled up on what appeared to be a traffic jam in the area of Kennesaw S. Industrial.  After a quick investigation, we located the turkey that was holding up traffic . . . literally a turkey.


To protect the actual identification of the turkey, we will call him Tom.  As we attempted to make contact with Tom, he yelled something that sounded like a gobble and took off running.  As a patrol car caught up to Tom, he quickly realized he was no match for the Ford Explorer Interceptor; actually, it appeared he took a liking to it.




Tom began running alongside of the Explorer where we escorted him to a more suitable area for a turkey of his stature.  After a short rest from all the running, Tom received a verbal warning and was encouraged to stop playing in the roadway.

LOL!  It looks like even our police have acknowledged that Major Tom is a formidable character to be reckoned with!

Although many folks imagine they rule the roost, and they are the ones in control, that couldn't be further from the truth.  God is the blessed and only Ruler of the Roost.  King of kings and Lord of lords.  And everything in His creation, even Major Tom, are under His watchful eye and precious care.

Let us give thanks and praise and honor to the Lord each and every day, knowing that all we have and all we are is held in His loving hands.

Amen!

34 comments:

  1. What a wonderful story, Martha. It's so nice how people have learnt to live peacefully with Tom even though he might be misguided as to who is the boss.

    I like your prayer at the end. Thanx.

    God bless you all.

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    1. Yes, Victor, Major Tom is quite the fixture in our neck of the woods, misguided or not. So glad you liked the ending prayer, too!
      Love and blessings!

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  2. What a great story. Major Tom is like so many people I know -- think the world revolves around them. But we know who is the ultimate boss. And we know He cares even for Tom whom He created. And if a turkey, how much more for us.

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    1. Yes, Kathy, and if a turkey, how much more for us does God care. Major Tom is like a lot of people I know, too. That's unfortunate as we should all know the Lord is large and in charge!
      Love and blessings!

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  3. I love the imagination of the police! That was a good chuckle this morning. And your application was spot on Martha. Have a great day not a Turkey of a day.

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    1. Yes, Bill, that police report is priceless! Glad you appreciated my application here, too. Thanks!
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Before I retired, my office looked out on an area where wild turkeys loved to congregate. And they loved to stare inside the basement-level windows. I should have called the Kennesaw Polkice and reported peeping toms!

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    1. Peeping toms - lol! That's a good one, Glynn. Your story shared here made my day, my friend. :)
      Love and blessings!

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  5. This is so funny! We have a group of 4 wild turkeys in our neighborhood that do the same thing. It's really odd having them here by the beach but this is where they decided to live. They chase people who are out walking or on bikes too lol!

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    1. Turkeys can be aggressive, Martha, especially when in a flock. Fortunately, Major Tom is a solo act around here and doesn't really show hostility toward humans. However, it's still best to keep a distance from him.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. Dearest Martha Jane,
    What an incredible story this is and how sad that Major Tom's Mom somehow passed away...
    Yes, he is acting like it is HIS territory and strides on. May God protect such special critters from harm!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. We felt sad when she passed away, too, Mariette, but Major Tom marches on. I just feel sorry that he doesn't have any other turkeys to hang out with. We've heard there are some in a neighborhood not far from us, but that bridge has yet to be crossed.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. What a fun story you have for us today, Martha! Turkeys really are more on the stupid scale than they are intelligent. So funny!! Thanks for the giggle and the great reminder for us about Who is really in control!! xo

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    1. Yes, turkeys are not the sharpest tools in the chest, but they sure are majestic looking creatures. So glad you had some fun with this story, Terri, and know, as I do, that God is in control.
      Love and blessings!

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  8. How funny! Major Tom's a great name, and I'm secretly loving his attitude. Is there, perhaps, a future book featuring this cheeky fellow?

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    1. Not that I've thought of, Myra, although I can envision Major Tom having quite a few misadventures in a story book. And his attitude? It's priceless!
      Love and blessings!

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  9. That is so funny!!!I am glad that all's well that ends well, and I pray Major Tom will stay out of trouble and out of traffic so he can live to a ripe old age. yes, we are often guilty of being like Major Tom the Turkey, and we need God to give us an attitude adjustment or just a strong correction to the right lane again. So thankful He knows how to take care of us, even when we are kind of dumb and strutting about as if we are somebody special! LOL. Thank you for this great story.

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    1. It seems these days, Pam, there are a lot of dumb folks strutting around like they own the world, just like Major Tom. I'm praying that those who think they're large and in charge would come to know Jesus and accept Him as their Savior. When we get too big for our britches, that's when we mistakenly think that we are in control instead of God. Nothing could be further from the truth!
      Love and blessings!

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  10. I love it! Both a bit of laughter and a godly faith lesson today. Thank you so much Ms. Martha. I have a client in Seymour, CT that is nestled in the woods. I love it when I pull into the parking lot or look out the one way glass in a conference room to see the wild turkeys out and about; foraging in the manicured flower gardens and shrubbery.

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    1. More wild turkey sightings, J. D. - I love it! I'm so glad you were both entertained and inspired by the post today. Means the world to me!
      Love and blessings!

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  11. Martha, what an amazing post! As J.D. stated above: "...a bit of laughter and a godly faith lesson..." and what a faith lesson it is. We humans can get too smart for our own good, not to mention to full of ourselves. Like "Tom Turkey" we can refuse to heed warnings and get into loads of trouble.

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Oh, yes, Kim, we people can all too easily become too big for our britches, just like Major Tom. We must never lose sight of our loving Father, who is the only one large, in charge and in control, no matter what. That being said, I do hope Major Tom will decide not to play in traffic anymore - lol!
      Love and blessings!

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  12. I love hearing about Major Tom, Martha. Thank you for sharing this delightful story. Sorry about his mama though. Love and blessings to you!

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    1. I know, Trudy, it was a sad day when she just failed to show up, but we know that God cares for all His creatures. Glad you liked this post!
      Love and blessings!

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  13. Great story, Martha. Love how you tied it into the Gospel. :-)

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    1. Thank you, Frank! When we stop to look around in our daily encounters, I've found that God's messages and lessons are everywhere. We only need to open our hearts and minds.
      Love and blessings!

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  14. So funny that you named the turkey Major Tom. I love it! I think turkeys are not geniuses. So glad your local police have a wonderful sense of humor. I hope hanging out in the middle of the road doesn't turn out badly for Tom!

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    1. I hope Major Tom's road habits don't get him into trouble, either, Laurie. He is something else! And I agree that our police department has a terrific sense of humor. Kennesaw has an extremely low crime rate, so I guess they can afford to be jovial.
      Love and blessings!

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  15. Thank you for the lighthearted post, Martha! A much-needed reprieve for me this morning.

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    1. Yes, it's great to be able to see the levity in things, Cheryl, even when times are tough. And Lord knows, we've had some rough going as of late!
      Love and blessings!

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  16. Fun to read but I shuddered. I was attacked by a wild turkey on my last retreat. Very scary. Actually gave me much to talk to my spiritual director about afterwards God's lessons come in all forms!

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    1. Oh, no, Jean! That would be a horrific experience, indeed. Major Tom seems pretty docile, but I wouldn't trust getting too close to him. And yes, God's lessons come in all shapes and forms. :)
      Love and blessings!

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