I was on my way home from my grandson's preschool program the other night and I had to stop along the way for fuel. I fueled up my car and went inside for a bathroom break. As I was walking back out to my car, I noticed a little bird on the grill of the pickup parked next to me. My first thought was sorrow. Poor thing must have misjudged distance on his last flight. But as I got closer, I realized he was alive - very much alive and eating bugs that were stuck in the grill of the pickup.
My next thought was - wow, that's really brave! Or maybe really stupid. It was a big farm truck and he could get most of his body between the louvers. What if he got so busy enjoying his dinner that he missed his opportunity for escape? How desperate he must be to scavenge dead bugs from a vehicle in a busy place.
My fears were for naught. He flew away as the driver approached the pickup. He escaped safe and sound with his tummy full.
Those few brief moments at the gas station somehow made an impact on me. And I thought about that little bird on my drive home. I could not fault him for his tenaciousness, his will to survive. He put himself in danger (in my eyes) for a reason. He had a goal, a purpose.
I immediately thought of the verses in Matthew, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
In our world the sparrows are worthless, but not in God's eyes. God loves the sparrows. He provides food and shelter for EVERY sparrow. But the birds have to take action. They don't land in a tree one day and a nest magically appears. They must take action... gather the twigs and leaves, and weave them tightly together. They can't sit in the nest all day and hope a bug or two lands in the branch next to them... they must vigilantly hunt and work for their supper.
God expects the same from us. Most of the time life doesn't just magically "work out" for us. God supplies everything we need for this earthly life, but we must take action! We must vigilantly move forward each and every day. We are called to ACT, to PARTICIPATE while we are here. To not participate is like hiding in a closet, hoping someone will slip food under the door!
And HOW we participate makes a difference! The Bible is full of moments when He has called us to action. James 2:18 says, "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." That does not mean we can work our way into heaven or earn our salvation. It means we are to have a LIVING faith.
Being a believer is hard! We are constantly judged, not just by nonbelievers, but by Christians as well. Somehow we've come to this place where one sin is worse than another and if we "catch" someone who's sin is deemed worse than our own, then apparently we are free to keep sinning. That is wrong in every way shape and form!
Our goal should be a LIVING faith. A faith that moves us forward in our walk with Christ. A faith that acts when we see someone in need. A faith that is willing to make hard choices if put in that position. A faith that is willing to pick bugs off the grill of a truck!
God never promised us life would be easy, but He did promise to be by our side through every situation. He promises to give us rest and comfort in our time of need. He promises to give us strength when we are weak. He promises us life instead of death.
Our actions are noted by those around us - in our best and our worst moments in life. Are we sitting in the nest, waiting for food to crawl to us or are we living our faith? I'm no longer in the closet... I'm airing out these wings all the way to the gas station!
Matthew 6: 26
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they?
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