Photo source
It was Saturday morning, and as I wrapped up my study for the day, I wondered over to the dining window looking out at the week old eleven inches of snow and the freezing rain that was falling on top of it. Contrasted on the blanket of white was one beautiful red cardinal in the pine tree which stands tall above my driveway. His bright red feathers were so eye-catching against the green pine needles and the brilliance of the snow, he was almost breathtaking.
As I marveled at how beautiful God had made him, I realized that since the snow had already been covering our ground for a week, the birds were probably looking for something to eat. Feeling sorry for them, I went to the pantry, found some crackers, and quickly crumbled them into tiny pieces, collecting them in a bag.
Excited to do this good deed, I hustled out to my front porch in my pj's and fluffy, black house shoes. I was careful to stay clear of the snow and ice covered steps and stand behind the brick edge of our front porch. Being the graceful creature that I am, I know myself well enough to know that I should inspect my surroundings carefully as to avoid any embarrassing moments or injury. With my nature in mind, I looked down and saw that some of the frozen precipitation had found it's way up onto the porch, just covering the brick border, so I moved back from the brick as to steer clear of the slippery stuff.
Properly positioned, I reached into my baggie and began to sling my cracker crumbs ever so beautifully past the landscaping onto snow covered yard. Reach after reach, cracker crumbs landed in wait of feathered friends. I was feeling a bit like Snow White as I reached into the bag one final time to sprinkle the last of the crumbs.
And the next thing I know......
I am flying through the air, past the landscaping, onto the snow covered yard. Just like the cracker crumbs. In my pj's and fluffy house shoes, might I add. As I am spiraling through air, out of control, for what seemed like a century, I'm thinking lots of things......
As I marveled at how beautiful God had made him, I realized that since the snow had already been covering our ground for a week, the birds were probably looking for something to eat. Feeling sorry for them, I went to the pantry, found some crackers, and quickly crumbled them into tiny pieces, collecting them in a bag.
Excited to do this good deed, I hustled out to my front porch in my pj's and fluffy, black house shoes. I was careful to stay clear of the snow and ice covered steps and stand behind the brick edge of our front porch. Being the graceful creature that I am, I know myself well enough to know that I should inspect my surroundings carefully as to avoid any embarrassing moments or injury. With my nature in mind, I looked down and saw that some of the frozen precipitation had found it's way up onto the porch, just covering the brick border, so I moved back from the brick as to steer clear of the slippery stuff.
Properly positioned, I reached into my baggie and began to sling my cracker crumbs ever so beautifully past the landscaping onto snow covered yard. Reach after reach, cracker crumbs landed in wait of feathered friends. I was feeling a bit like Snow White as I reached into the bag one final time to sprinkle the last of the crumbs.
And the next thing I know......
I am flying through the air, past the landscaping, onto the snow covered yard. Just like the cracker crumbs. In my pj's and fluffy house shoes, might I add. As I am spiraling through air, out of control, for what seemed like a century, I'm thinking lots of things......
- This is gonna hurt
- This is gonna be cold
- Todd will be mad if I land on his beloved boxwood and kill it
- Todd will really be mad if I land on that landscaping spot light quickly approaching my face!
How did I manage to do that?
{insert eye roll here}
Replaying the moments leading up to my "flight", this verse comes to mind-
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
I HAD examined everything carefully in the beginning. I HAD moved myself away from what looked to be dangerous and evil.
But - I didn't do this -
But - I didn't do this -
Test yourselves to see if your are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you -- unless indeed you fail the test?
2 Corinthians 13:5
I examined everything carefully, but I didn't go back and check myself with each throw of my arm. Each time I tossed the crumbs, I had stepped a little closer to the ice and didn't realize it until it was too late.
My friends, the same thing can happen to us in our faith-life. We can examine everything carefully and position ourselves to avoid the pitfalls of the evil one, but if we aren't daily testing ourselves to see if we are still in our faith, we could easily slip and fall. Falls do damage. They hurt. They break things.
Staying connected to Him and His truth is more important than we can ever understand.
And, no, I didn't kill the boxwood.
No, I didn't crush the precious landscape lighting, for I flew well beyond it.
And, in case you were wondering, NO.
NOT. ONE. BIRD. CAME. TO. EAT. MY. CRACKERS.
I failed the birds.
And Snow White.
My friends, the same thing can happen to us in our faith-life. We can examine everything carefully and position ourselves to avoid the pitfalls of the evil one, but if we aren't daily testing ourselves to see if we are still in our faith, we could easily slip and fall. Falls do damage. They hurt. They break things.
Staying connected to Him and His truth is more important than we can ever understand.
And, no, I didn't kill the boxwood.
No, I didn't crush the precious landscape lighting, for I flew well beyond it.
And, in case you were wondering, NO.
NOT. ONE. BIRD. CAME. TO. EAT. MY. CRACKERS.
I failed the birds.
And Snow White.
