Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Darren Milam
Wednesday and Thursday, July 16 and 17, 2025
I spent time identifying this specific hummingbird (hopefully I did it correctly). The reason it took a bit more time is that it’s either a female or an immature (male or female). In the bird world, many of the adult males have striking and very colorful markings. In the case of these two varieties, Anna’s and Rufous, they have similar characteristics. I inspected a few different images, researched the written descriptions, and eventually listened to each of their calls. Eureka! (I hope) I identified it — Anna’s.
In the book of Matthew (7:16-20), Jesus says, “…you will know them by their fruit.” This was/is a teaching on how best to recognize true followers from false prophets. Jesus didn’t say, “You’ll know them by their words,” or “by their church attendance,” or even “by their knowledge.” He said fruit. When we reflect on the fruit that is being referenced here, we know it’s the Fruit of the Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Those are action words. It’s the outward result of an inward reality.
Just like the hummingbird, appearances can be deceiving. From a distance, many birds look the same. It’s only when you get close—when you observe their behavior, their sound, their patterns—that you begin to see what’s really true. The same is true for us as Christians.
No matter what we do, people are observing us. They’re listening to our “calls,” watching our “flight patterns,” and trying to figure out what kind of bird we really are. And if we’re not staying true to what God wants us to be, we might be sending mixed signals—claiming to be one thing but living like another.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about authenticity. It’s about making sure that what we say we believe is actually reflected in how we live.
Because in the end, it’s not just about being identified correctly by others—it’s about being known by God as His own.