We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. —2 Corinthians 10:5 (niv)
My job of selling lumber had become extremely intense with the volatile housing market. During the weeks when my sales slowed, thoughts of being a failure swirled through my mind. This was one of those weeks.
After cleaning up the dishes, I decided to throw rocks into the hole that my golden retriever had dug. When I stepped out the door, Sunrise stopped and grinned at me like she had a mouth full of marbles. Then she walked to the other side of the yard. Strange, I thought.
As I tossed rocks, I noticed her nose something in the grass, scoop it up in her mouth, and lay down for a couple of minutes. Then she opened her mouth. I saw a flutter. It was a baby bird!
I vaulted across the yard, tackled the dog, and pried open her mouth. I snatched the shivering bird off Sunrise’s tongue. My emotions swung between feeling sorry for the bird and laughing as I remembered cartoons of Tweety Bird looking at Sylvester’s tonsils. How many times had this poor bird stared at Sunrise’s tonsils?
Slowly it dawned on me as I cradled the bird in my hands. I was the one in the mouth of the beast. I had been allowing thoughts of failure to swallow me over and over again.
It’s time to give yourself the gift of mercy, I heard in my spirit. I lifted the bird into the air. It flew away—free—and so did I.
