It is pretty bad when God has to use Bird Brain Wisdom to get through to His daughter, but He did. I tried my best to avoid Dave at every church function. Most people did. His inordinate need for attention and his obvious emotional and spiritual immaturity embarrassed me. I went out of my way to not be associated with him. Intellectually, I understood people are often needy because they had been damaged in some way, so I would have moments of guilt for acting as I did. Then he would say something totally inappropriate and I’d be right back where I began – embarrassed for him.
At the same time I was hand feeding baby cockatiels every two hours, and one of them who I affectionately called Ernie, just couldn’t eat enough to make him grow. I tried everything, but to no avail.One night, still bleary-eyed from little sleep, I prayed, God, please help me! Ernie isn’t going to make it if You don’t help us out. He’s just too weak. And into my spirit, clear as a bell, came the thought, Ernie is the weakest of your birds, and yet you love him the most. Why doesn’t his weakness embarrass you?
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4 NIV)
The comparison was too obvious, and I hung my head in shame. God loved Dave the same way I loved Ernie! His heart broke with tenderness over this man’s weakness the same way my heart broke over my baby bird. He would persist with Dave just as I had with Ernie, spending extra time with him. And God didn’t need a judgmental child getting in the way of Dave’s growth.
I went to bed that night wiser, but much sadder with the knowledge that I had, in my arrogance, dared to pass judgment on another human being that I really didn’t know. By judging Dave, I had positioned myself to be judged by God.I realized God wasn’t half as embarrassed by Dave’s spiritual and emotional immaturity as He was by my arrogance. And worse was my underestimation of God’s power to work in Dave’s life and make him stand strong. I had, with my attitude, questioned the sovereignty of Almighty God!
O Father, forgive my arrogance. Thank You for the wisdom You taught me through my precious little “bird brain!” Let me never lose sight of Your sovereignty and Your compassion towards Your weaker children. I, too, am one of your weak ones. (c)1996-2009 April Lorier
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20
Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier.
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