Rise Above the Noise

I walk our property and trails nearly every day, and this time of year, I want to spend as much time outside as possible. Give me temperatures in the 60s and 70s, low humidity, and sunshine, and I’m a happy girl.

One thing we have plenty of around here is red-tailed hawks. I’ll often be walking along when suddenly I hear a terrible commotion overhead. Before I even look up, I usually have a pretty good idea what’s going on.

The crows are after a hawk again. They make quite a ruckus! Several crows will swoop and dive around the hawk, chasing it through the sky and doing everything they can to run it out of their territory.

What always strikes me is the size difference. That big red-tailed hawk looks so much more powerful than the crows pestering it. Yet there can be several of them, coming from different directions, making all that noise and refusing to leave it alone. I’ve stood in our field many times and watched the whole drama play out overhead.

It reminds me of a story I once heard about an eagle and a crow. In the story, rather than wasting its energy fighting the crow, the eagle simply rises higher.

I’m not sure how accurate it is, but the image has stayed with me. The lesson seems strong. Don’t spend all your energy fighting the crows. Keep soaring. Because don’t we all have “crows” sometimes?

Maybe it’s criticism that keeps nipping at us. Maybe it’s someone determined to misunderstand us. Maybe it’s worry, negativity, distractions, or one frustrating thing after another demanding our attention. And goodness, they can get LOUD.

Our first instinct may be to fight every battle. Defend ourselves. Explain ourselves. Respond to every criticism. Fix every misunderstanding. But not everything deserves our energy.

Sometimes the wisest thing we can do is keep our eyes on where God is leading us and continue moving forward.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

I love that Scripture doesn’t say we’ll never have anything chasing us, distracting us, or making noise around us. It reminds us where our strength comes from while we keep going.

So the next time I’m out walking and hear that familiar caw, caw, caw overhead, I think I’ll see it a little differently. I’ll look up at that hawk surrounded by all that commotion and remind myself: Not every crow needs to be fought. Not every noise deserves my attention. Sometimes I just need to keep soaring.

October 4, 2026 Morning Brew