Last summer, a male Anna’s hummingbird laid claim to the feeder in our backyard in Southern California. He perched on a branch a couple of feet above the feeder in a carrotwood tree and chased away all others that got near his food supply. He even flew at me a time or two, wings whirring, when I got too close.

There was also a brown and yellow mourning cloak butterfly who claimed our backyard as his private domain. Bold as can be, he charged at the hummingbird when the two encountered each other. And twice he determinedly fluttered around my head to warn me that I was in his territory.

Each little creature was bold enough to stand up to someone hundreds and thousands of times his size.

Like the hummingbird and the butterfly, I had to contend with a giant. My wife Carol and I loved Southern California and our friends and church there, but after eight years the longing for family in the Northeast won out. Selling one home and buying another in the midst of a less than favorable real-estate market would be a giant undertaking.

We turned to one of our favorite Bible verses: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NIV). Holding on to that promise, we faced our giant, sold our house and moved East to begin looking for a new home.

Lord, give us boldness to challenge the giants we face.