Don't be a chicken.

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

    they shall walk and not faint.

First of all I must say I do love my chickens.

Here is a story of a farmer the while walking through the forest one day, he found a young eagle who had apparently fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard with his chickens and there it stayed for years. It wasn't long before the little eagle learned to eat and behave like the chickens.

One day a naturalist passed by the farm and saw the eagle confined in the barnyard with the chickens. When he inquired about this strange sight, the farmer told the man his story. "Unfortunately," said the farmer, "the poor little guy just never learned to fly." "Still," the naturalist sighed, "he has the heart of an eagle and can surely be taught. Will you allow me to work with him?" The farmer agreed, but with much disbelief.

The naturalist picked up the eagle and lifted him toward the sky and said, "You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly." But the eagle was afraid and jumped down once again to be with his chicken friends. Finally the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!" The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and then up to the sky. Slowly, he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, he soared away into the heavens.

Somewhere along the line, we like this poor young eagle, were put in a lowly barn with the chickens of the world around us. We learned to live and eat from the ground and grew up believing that there was not much more to do than sit and cluck all day.

But the reality is that we are eagles! We were created to fly and even soar! God has great purpose for our lives! If we would only realize who we are in Him!

Let's remember who we are today and stop acting like chickens!

Dear Lord, help us to soar like You have planned for us to do.   Help our eyes be open to the great purpose that You have mapped out before us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Don't forget the comma

Mark 6:31 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

Isn’t it interesting how God gets ahold of us sometimes. I was scrolling through some articles while waiting in the Doctor office I was reading said, "Jet fighters take off land and are stored on deck."

As I reread it I thought "That doesn't make sense" I thought. My knowledge of such ships is limited, but I do know that they are called aircraft carriers for a reason! I went back and reread the sentence. "Jet fighters take off, land and are stored on deck." Aha! Now the sentence was clear. I had missed the comma!

Some of us are missing many commas in our lives. We are scurrying around with our Smartphone, a daytimer, and a calendar full to the brim. Our lives don't seem to make sense. We take precious little time to wonder about life's meaning and ponder God's purpose for our life. Then we ask why God has not spoken into our lives. His answers will become clear when we add some "commas" to our busy spaces.

Dear Lord,  help us take the time to examine our schedules through Your eyes, and then, Lord, give us the courage to cross out the extras and replace them with some "commas". In Jesus' name, Amen.

You Ready to Score a Touchdown?

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

On October 18, 2002, Jake Porter, 17, was a member of the Northwest High football team in McDermott, Ohio. Jake was born with chromosomal fragile X syndrome, a common cause of mental retardation. He couldn't read or write, but he loved football and he faithfully attended every practice. Northwest coach Dave Frantz wanted to do something special for Jake. So before the game on October 18, against Waverly High, Frantz called his friend Derek Dewitt, the head coach at Waverly. Frantz suggested that both teams allow Jake to run one play at the end of the game, assuming the game wasn't on the line. Jake would get the ball and take a knee, and the game would end. So, with Waverly leading 42-0 and five seconds left in the game, Frantz called a timeout.

Jake trotted out to the huddle, and the two coaches met at midfield. But a disagreement broke out between the coaches. Waverly's Dewitt wanted Jake to score a touchdown, not merely take a knee. Dewitt called his defense over and said, "They're going to give the ball to number 45. Do not touch him! Open up a hole and let him score! Understand?" The ball was snapped and Jake was about to kneel when his teammates stopped him and told him to run. Suddenly, the Waverly defense parted like peasants for the king and cheered him to the end zone. Players on both sidelines held their helmets to the sky and whooped. Jake had the run of his life, scoring the touchdown heard round the world, all because of Dewitt's unselfish decision: "I want him to score."

Like coach Dewitt, God has high purposes for each of us. He wants us to score a touchdown. Will you score your touchdown today?  Will you be the tool that helps somebody else score a touchdown?

Dear Lord, thank You for the great plans You have for our life.  Help us seek and follow you today and all of your life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.