Wednesday, October 11, 2006
BIRDS OF THIS WORLD
How many people were frightened by Alfred Hitchcock's "Birds" movie as a child? I was. It seems funny now but back then ... it drove me nuts. Especially the phone booth scene.
Anyway, that has nothing to do with this post.
Have you ever seen a small bird, or perhaps two small birds chasing after a much larger bird as they fly through the sky? We've all seen that probably. I wonder what the small birds' goal is. I guess that a part of me admires their big thinking regardless.
But this morning, I saw something pretty different. There was a large flock of about 150 little birds chasing after one big bird. They would catch up with it and surround it and then it would swoop or dive and break free for a second or so. Then this would repeat all over again. I watched them for as long as they stayed in my view and this pattern of events just kept repeating again and again with the big bird being caught up by the small ones, breaking free, and being caught again. I imagined the emotions of the big bird. I wondered how it was able to repeatedly break free but then be caught up again in the whirling frenzy of 150 small, noisy birds that appeared to be seeking its demise. It was quite a scene of aerial combat. Whenever the big bird would break free, I so wanted to see it keep building speed and momentum and just soar on far ahead of the small birds. But, again, for as long as I can see it, it couldn't break free ... not permanently.
I suspect that it would use a burst of energy to get free from the vicious flock but then, the second the small birds were out of its vision, the big bird would feel cocky, rest on its laurels, and slow down a bit, just to be overtaken and again caught up in the fracas and the frenzy.
What is it about human nature that makes us so often go through this same cycle? As soon as we think we're free of the noise of this world or the cares and worries of our life, we let up on our focus on the One who brings us that peace and security, laying ourselves prone to be caught up all over again. How I long to always be in the peace that is only found in God. To consistently be in this world but not of this world.
Anyway, that has nothing to do with this post.
Have you ever seen a small bird, or perhaps two small birds chasing after a much larger bird as they fly through the sky? We've all seen that probably. I wonder what the small birds' goal is. I guess that a part of me admires their big thinking regardless.
But this morning, I saw something pretty different. There was a large flock of about 150 little birds chasing after one big bird. They would catch up with it and surround it and then it would swoop or dive and break free for a second or so. Then this would repeat all over again. I watched them for as long as they stayed in my view and this pattern of events just kept repeating again and again with the big bird being caught up by the small ones, breaking free, and being caught again. I imagined the emotions of the big bird. I wondered how it was able to repeatedly break free but then be caught up again in the whirling frenzy of 150 small, noisy birds that appeared to be seeking its demise. It was quite a scene of aerial combat. Whenever the big bird would break free, I so wanted to see it keep building speed and momentum and just soar on far ahead of the small birds. But, again, for as long as I can see it, it couldn't break free ... not permanently.
I suspect that it would use a burst of energy to get free from the vicious flock but then, the second the small birds were out of its vision, the big bird would feel cocky, rest on its laurels, and slow down a bit, just to be overtaken and again caught up in the fracas and the frenzy.
What is it about human nature that makes us so often go through this same cycle? As soon as we think we're free of the noise of this world or the cares and worries of our life, we let up on our focus on the One who brings us that peace and security, laying ourselves prone to be caught up all over again. How I long to always be in the peace that is only found in God. To consistently be in this world but not of this world.
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1 Comments:
Great post Todd. Wow. I really liked that one. As a one in recovery, spoke to me about when I try and do things on my own and when I think I have it all figured out.
Thanks man!
Todd
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