I have been spending my spare time getting our house in order to sell so that we can downsize.  This last week I have been scraping paint, replacing boards, priming walls, and painting sides of the little doll house in our back yard.  When you think of a doll house, it may be a bit deceiving.  This house is 12 feet by 12 feet, with air conditioning to cool it in the hot months.  It has a cathedral ceiling with a chandler in the middle of the room with a refrigerator and a microwave for snacks.  The only thing that isn’t available is a bathroom. I guess I went a little overboard when I built it for my daughter Victoria who is now 24.

Well, back to the story.  A couple of days ago I was painting and before you know it, three hawks swooped just over my head and flew just overhead of my dog, Monty.  Monty and these hawks have a love hate relationship with one another.  They love to dive him and he hates them with a passion.  In the past they have not gotten within 20 feet of him when they fly over our yard, but he doesn’t care and goes crazy with his barking at them for 15-20 minutes.

Today was different.  As they flew over the playhouse, they flew to within 2-3 feet of Monty and then settled in a backyard tree within 10 feet of where Monty was going out of his mind.  They were analyzing their abilities to see if they could engage their talons into his back and pick him up.  Monty weighs about 21 pounds, so the three hawks had visions of dinner floating in their minds, but they were limited in their skill set to take on such a big potential dinner.  The more he barked, the more realistic they saw their limitations and eventually flew off.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”  We on this journey will encounter times when events and circumstances of life are very tempting to grab.  It’s in those time we need to take some time to ponder whether or not we have the time, skills,  and resources to take on the task at hand.  It’s counting the cost of the venture.  Realistic evaluations along this journey will help us become wise in making decisions that will eventuate in success.