so, I investigated the meaning of the word

I investigated the word Vulture because of something I had seen… in this investigation I found some very interesting facts!

Did you know that a group of vultures sitting in trees waiting for a kill are called a “committee”, when they are feeding, they are called a “wake”, when they are flying, they are called a “kettle”?

From the information I read a vulture doesn’t usually attack healthy animals but will kill one that is wounded or sick. I guess the committee looks around and sees an animal that is taking its last breath, on its last legs so to speak and then they go and have themselves a wake. 

There are two people, presumably a couple, that I have seen around the neighborhood although they were never friendly enough to return a wave or speak in the grocery store when I saw them, still they were a part of everyday life. 

They worked in their yard and brought beautiful stones in to make a flower garden, where both of their ashes were scattered I might add, and she had a small house called a “Victoria’s Folly” where I assume she read or maybe did crafts, whatever she did, it always intrigued me and I wished I could see the inside of it, and further than that wished I had a little place of my own like that to slip into to read or write. 

The yard was really a picture with so many interesting things to look at as we rode by. This couple died within 6 weeks of each other and since they had no family or children had a friend that lives in another state who arrived to settle their estate. I have heard that she is going to let the property go back to the bank to keep from making payments on it but for the past two days I have watched as a committee has descended and are having themselves a grand wake.

Everything in the yard has been dismantled and carried off, even the fancy light fixtures and the wooden frame around the beautiful little folly, which is also missing the proud little weathervane that was perched on the roof of that tiny structure. Included in this feast was even the generator which was connected to the house for electrical emergencies. 

It has nothing to do with me, true, but when I went out on my deck and saw them feverishly feeding on all that those people had worked on for all the years, they had lived there to make beautiful, I just got sick to my stomach, literally wanted to throw up.

I probably wouldn’t take it so hard if I hadn’t seen this happen in my lifetime, no not the dismantling of a home, but the feeding on a person whose life has taken a turn for the worse because of sickness, scandal, getting into trouble of some sort. I have seen the committee sitting in trees watching for the moment someone is down and look too weak to stand on their own, the wake begins, and it is all over but the squawking and the whole kettle flying into the wild blue yonder to become a committee watching for another victim.

It is said that Christians are the only army in the whole world that kill their wounded.

Galatians 6:1-3 “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out.

Instead of joining a committee who jumps on a dying soul and has a wake be the person who “bear’s his burden” and follow the lyrics of a song written by Steve Green which say, “Come let us pour the oil Come let us bind their hurt Let’s cover them with a blanket of His love Come let us break the bread Come let us give them rest Let’s minister to healing to them Don’t let another wounded soldier die.”