Acts 20:24
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
Every morning between 6-7am in the partially constructed dorm basement where we are living, there is a peculiar and familiar tapping from the window. If I pop my head up each morning at this time, I can make out the shape of a minuscule grey object fluttering outside, trying to nose dive through the closed window. It’s a small grey bird I don’t recognize, about the size of a humming bird. Beginning at the bottom of the tall window pane, it beats its wings against the window, searching for an opening, rising up against the glass until it finds its way to a ledge on another window above. This window is open. Here the bird lands, and briefly pauses. Because I’m a human with common sense, I would expect that once the bird finds this opening of the window it has been so determinedly trying to fly through, it would simply fly on inside to his new found abode. This is the impression I had the first time I observed this bird’s transgressions. Instead, however, it cascades back down to the bottom, abruptly landing on the wire hanging just outside the window, then begins its futile quest all over again.
As we were watching, a comment made by one of my squad mates Marlin left me perplexed. He said, “isn’t crazy that this bird is doing exactly what God has designed it to do?” I have always been fascinated by the inconceivable beauty God presents to us in nature, and how flawlessly he has designed it. After a few days of waking up to this repetitive action and pondering this bird’s actions, a thought crossed my mind that God may be using this bird to teach me something. I began to see the bird’s perspective, wondering what was it this bird was attempting to achieve, and why would it not reap the rewards of successfully discovering the open window by flying inside. This thought lead me into reflection of my own life and wondering how many times had I sought after something, only to eventually find myself too fearful to take the ensuing leap of faith that would be required reap the bounty? How many times in my pursuit of a more extensive relationship with Christ had I failed to take the leap of faith towards seeking the freedom that could have been discovered on the other side? When observing the bird from the vantage point I have laying in my hammock, it seems so logical for the bird to simply make its way inside. Likewise, from God’s perspective on my life it seems so simple for me to take that leap by placing my complete total faith and trust in Him.
Sometimes our known bondage feels safer than the unknown freedom God has in store for each of us that can be found through taking a simple leap of faith
