I would like to tell you a little story. And so
goes my tale...
One bright day in the forest all the woodland
creatures were happy. They were doing what all woodland creatures do. They were
frolicking in the green soft grass, eating berries and leaves off the lush
bushes, drinking water from the cool clear brook and flying through the bright
blue sky. But later in the day the sky turned dark and the wind started to blow
through the tall majestic trees. Then as the rain began to fall the thunder
clapped and a bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky. And not only did the
bolt of lightning pierce the sky it also set the ground ablaze. The truth of
the forest was that this had happened many times before but the steady rains as
they fell usually put out the fires. This time though it was different. The
rains STOPPED and the fire grew!
And grew and grew and as it grew larger and
more intense the animals started to take notice. Then they started escaping for
their very lives. From the butterflies to the grasshoppers...from the bunnies
to the woodchuck...from the deer to the bears...all were running to escape the
all encompassing fire. The air was thick with smoke and the flames rose as if
trying to lick the treetops. But then out of the thick grey smoke, like a dot
on a page came a little humming bird. Where in the world is this tiny little
fragile bird going? He was going toward the smoke and fire not away from it.
What is this tiny bird doing?
And as the story was told this fragile little
bird flew straight to the bubbling stream, dipped his long strong beak in the
clear water and quickly flew to the fire and emptied his beak. Then he took off
again, quickly into flight, and straight to that stream filling his beak again.
Back and forth, back and forth was this tiny little creature dropping one
beakfull of water at a time on those licking flames.
It was then that some of the other woodland
creatures took notice. First, it was the bullfrogs along with their cousins the
toads. Then it was the chipmunks and the bunnies. Also, the coyotes and the deer
took notice. And as they took notice they started running to the stream
following that tiny humming bird. They took water any way they could and
followed that humming bird back to the fire to deposit their contribution of
water. Back and forth, back and forth until the fire was completely out! And
all because one little humming bird did his part...one little beakfull at a
time!
I am telling you this story today because I
want you to understand how very much God loves you. He loves you so much that
he made you and prescribed, determined, ordained your purpose in life. He
already has figured out for you where He, your maker and designer, wants you
and what your purpose is going to be in this life! We are one piece in God's
plan. An important piece and we have a plan and purpose on this earth to be
used as part of a bigger plan. We don't have to do it all we just have to do
the part God has designed for us. Whether it is a beakfull of water or a gallon
of water God has already figured that out for us and will lead us and direct us
if we allow him to. He loves us that much that he doesn't expect more out of us
then he has planned for us. Each of us have been made special out of his love
for us, to fit together, to "carry our beakfull of water" to the
fire. Not to put the entire fire out but to do our part. The part ordained by
God. What a deep, deep love must he have for us?
So, I pray that as you read my little
story...confession time here...it was a story our priest told us in church and
a great story it is! As you read this story you will thank God for his love and
his plan and purpose for your life. You might also want to ask his forgiveness
for not being satisfied with being made to "carry just a beakfull of
water". Today thank him that he loves you enough that ALL doesn't rest on
you...that if we, each and every one of us, just fill our beaks, do what God
has ordained us to do, together we will do great and powerful things. AMEN!
Psalm 139:16 "Your eyes have
seen my unformed body; in your book were written, every one of them, the days
that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none."
