(07.23.21–Getting There On My Own! –Matthew 5: 43-48)
My friend, may I ask you a question? If even dumb beasts practices aid to its own kind, how can we not come to the aid of those who despise us, even hurt us?
My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I'm M. Clifford Brunner.
Recently on a morning walk I was confronted by a very unusual sight: a bird fluttering in the gravel about fifty yards in the distance. One bird was fluttering and dancing around another lying still on the ground. I approached and discovered that the lively dance was that of a male Cardinal. His red coat flashed distinctively as his wings caught the first glinting rays of the morning sun as he flew above me to a power wire. I slowed down wearily approached. Glancing down I noticed that the other bird lay limp and still. It had unfortunately met with someone’s windshield. I picked it up and cradled its broken neck. At first I thought it must be the other bird's mate, but it was another male Cardinal! Normally enemies throughout the breeding season, the one bird above my head on the wire had chosen to come to the aid of the other. I laid the lifeless rival in the grass along the side of the road and continued my walk. Minutes later, as I returned along the same route backtracking toward home, I spied the Cardinal still perched above its foe, feathers fluffed and head tucked under its wing, a sentinel in the early morning light.
Here's a thought from Mary Marty: "A holy man was engaged in his morning meditation under a tree whose roots stretched out over the riverbank. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising, and a scorpion caught in the roots was about to drown. He crawled out on the roots and reached down to free the scorpion, but every time he did so, the scorpion struck back at him. An observer came along and said to the holy man, "Don't you know that's a scorpion, and it's in the nature of a scorpion to want to sting?" To which the holy man replied, "That may well be, but it is my nature to save, and must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change its nature?"
If even dumb beasts practices aid to its own kind, how can we not come to the aid of those who despise us, even hurt us? If God had reserved our kindnesses and good works simply for those who are our friends, would not even a wicked per- son do the same thing? If a bird can be so kind, we should strive to be that much kinder. Not only should we offer our goodness in chance encounters with those who would not be our friends, we should seek-out the ungrateful, the despising and the hateful and turn their opposition into friendship. God has made it our duty to help our enemy. And, because we love Him and have taken on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we cannot help but do this. It becomes our "nature" in Christ to save, to help, to overcome even when that service is despised. Our good works, therefore, belong to everyone, even our enemies. We steal from enemy and friend alike when we do not practice universal good will to everyone.
We pray. Heavenly Father, if the birds and beasts of the field can kind, shouldn’t we strive to be that much kinder? Lord forgive us when we are not. Help us by Your Spirit to offer our goodness in chance encounters with those who would not be our friends, even the ungrateful, the despising and the hateful, and turn their opposition into friendship. You have made it our duty to help our enemy. And, because we love Him and have taken on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we cannot help but do this. It becomes our "nature" in Christ to save, to help, to overcome even when that service is despised. Our good works, therefore, belong to everyone, even our enemies. We steal from enemy and friend alike when we do not practice universal good will to everyone. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.