[Letters to RLC is a weekly letter to my church family. Many times they come from what I like to call my experiences "out in the wild." These are the various meetings, coffee appointments, and random conversations I have with all of you. Love you all so much.]
I constantly feel the need to explain the world to my two girls. People are the most complex of all God’s creation. Someone told me a story this week that was both hilarious and insightful.
First the story, then the moral.
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Once upon a time there was a bird who needed to fly south for the winter. He waited a little too long but finally started his journey. Since he waited too long, he soon ran into a snow storm. After flying as best and as far as he could, he simply couldn’t stand the wind and had to land. He couldn’t feel his wings and felt close to death. He was numb and wet and frozen. About that time, a cow 🐄 passed by. The bird saw it coming but couldn’t do anything to stop it. The cow pooped all over the bird. It was nasty. It was so gross. It was disgusting. But… hey… it was nasty and, yes, it was gross... but it was also warm. He started to thaw out. He could move. Things were looking up. But, he was so very disgusting. He needed to get cleaned off so he could start flying again. He started squirming and chirping and making a bunch of noise. Just then, a cat 🐈 saw him struggling to get free. The cat came over and offered to help the bird clean up. He carefully cleaned off every single feather and, as soon as the bird was clean… the cat swallowed him whole! So much for the bird.
There are three morals to this story.
- Not everyone who poops on means you harm.
- Not everyone who helps you means you good.
- When you up to your neck in poop, do yourself a favor and stay calm.
We live in a world that seems full of victims, villains, and martyrs. Don't be any of these if you can help it. The next time you are in a bad situation, don’t be too quick to place blame. The next time someone is quick to help, don’t automatically assume they don’t have an angle. The next time you get yourself in a mess, don’t complain too loudly. Take purposeful, small steps toward something better.
