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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD
Encountering an extraordinary God in ordinary life
Issue # 275 September 28, 2001
Ugly Gulls
Thanks to the sharp eyed reader who let me know yesterday’s Gleanings should have been #274 not 276.
As I frequently do, when I walked the dog yesterday, I stopped to feed the ducks. It’s very relaxing to stand there and listen to the ducks and geese makes happy sounds as they get fed.
It can also be a lot of fun to watch them as they jockey for position, or race over to where I’m feeding from other spots on the lake.
As usual as soon as I started feeding the ducks, the gulls came by. I must confess that I’m not really a fan of gulls. I know they have their place and God created them for a reason, but I tend to think of them as noisy, garbage eaters.
As there got to be a few more gulls circling where I was feeding the ducks, a couple became braver and walked nearby, looking for their share of the bread.
I started to get annoyed at the gulls, and began to wish they would go away. God pricked my conscience and a brief internal conversation went along these lines:
"Go away gulls. I’m here to feed the ducks and geese, not you garbage eaters."
"Kevin, I made the gulls too"
"I know God, but they are noisy, filthy birds. I just don’t like them."
"They’re my birds"
"They’re noisy and ugly."
"Where would you be if I decided to love only some people or offer my salvation to only some?"
"That’s different! These are just worthless gulls!"
"Is it different? After all you are only a "worthless" Gentile. You were a noisy, ugly sinner and I still forgave you."
I relented and fed some to the gulls as well.
I also had to spend some time in repentant prayer for the way I have sometimes acted towards people that I didn’t like. For viewing them as noisy, worthless and ugly, when in the eyes of God they were beautiful. For not showing them the love of Christ.
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:12-13 NIV
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise Galatians 3:26-29 NIV
In these difficult days, we must be particularly careful about not judging on appearance and to share the love of Jesus.
Until next time, may you know how valuable you are in the eyes of God, and how valuable even those you do not value are in God’s eyes.
God bless.
Kevin
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