"Live free as a bird, but don't sell your soul for chicken change."
Imagine yourself living as free as a bird. No really. Imagine it. What bird would you be? Before you go on, seriously take a minute and choose a bird...
I like to see myself as an American Bald Eagle. They are at the top of the food chain, and the wing span of those beautiful creatures is quite great. When I spend time in the wide open space, I like to see them soaring through the air--absolutely free. No ills, no pills. No bills, no debt. No worries, no concerns. No neighbors always coming over to gossip about dumb stuff I don't want to hear or to borrow...(sorry. I started remembering life on the ground!) In this thing called life, freedom is there for the asking. But how many of us ask for it? We ask for help, but not for total freedom from the situations we find ourselves stuck in: "God, I just need $1,000 for a car." How about, "God, I'm having transportation problems. I need you to free me from these transportation issues." Maybe He'll move you to a place close enough to where you need to go to walk there. "God, if you get me out of this one, I won't do this again." How about, "God, I always find myself in situations like this. I need freedom from whatever leads me here." "Lord, I just need a new job..." How about, "Lord, I need You to provide me with the abundant life You came that I might have."
Have you ever asked to just be free? Caution: God has great, big, powerful hands. If you ask to be free, He's going to free you from all of it. Be aware that He's going to do it His way; not yours. Be prepared to take up your cross and follow Him. That may mean that the jobs, relatives, habits, leisures, shopping, drinking, socializing, friends, etc., and other things you like so much, that are really what's holding you down, may have to go. And that's not a bad thing. Some of the things we hold on to so tightly are like beautiful roses with stems filled with thorns. We won't let go because the flower is so beautiful, and all the while, we are cutting the mess out of ourselves as we squeeze the thorns. Then we blame God for not relieving us of the pain! Let it go. He may just need to remove the thorns from your precious rose! Or how about this one: you may discover that you're allergic to roses. Maybe you'll discover that irises, orchids or lilies would be better for you. You may even get to go on a journey with Him and discover flowers so exotic and fascinating that you'll never even think about common roses again. Flowers such as the sacred lotus, birds of paradise, the bleeding heart flower, protea, hibiscus, and one of my personal favorites, plumeria. But enough of that. We're talking about birds, right? (Did I mention BIRDS of paradise?)
Birds come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and with varying characteristics. Now that you've imagined yourself one, think of the characteristics of the bird you chose. In doing so, you'll find what's most important to you. For me, freedom is important. (Okay, I like stature and beauty, too, and if I had it my way, I'd have it all! I would definitely be at the top of the food chain!) You may have even known what you liked before choosing your bird. And it's okay to like whatever it is, as long as you're honest with yourself. No one else has to know. Your choice is yours, but remember: if you choose to be a chicken, pecking on the ground for food, don't get angry at the eagles who have the ability to swoop down and catch fish right out of the water without even stopping their flight. Don't get angry at the eagles for standing tall just because you can't stand your ground. Don't get mad at the eagles because they command attention simply by their greatness. And really hold on to your anger about them not eating...well...you know what chickens eat. Life is only like an aviary. It's not really one. The difference between our world and that of the birds is that we get to make choices about our lives; they don't.
"Don't sell your soul for chicken change." Soul is synonymous with mind. Change doesn't refer to money here. It means transformation of heart; transformation of mind. Most of us live life tangled up because our hearts and minds take in a bunch of useless/hurtful information from others who are just as tangled up as we are; they don't tell you that when they're advising you, though. "If I were you, I'd..." "What you need to do is..." "If you were smart, you'd..." "Umph. I couldn't be you." And my personal favorite, "you're a better woman/man than I am, because I wouldn't put up with that." True life is true freedom. Be free as an eagle. Don't get cooped up by following others who live like chickens because they think like chickens. Don't follow any person, group of people, religion, doctrine or any other philosophy of life without first checking its foundation and then, thinking for yourself. Before being led by anybody or anything, check their path for truth, intelligence and integrity. If it lacks any one of these, it's no good, and it will...well...get you cooped up!
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