The random thoughts of a Christian parrot
Every morning, before breakfast, I make a short journey. I fly from one side of our house to the annex on the other side to visit 92 year old Eileen. Eileen is the Grandma of our collective residence. These days she’s a bit frail and wobbly on her legs, and she’s become rather forgetful. You could say that she’s no longer quite as dynamic as she once was, and it would be very easy to simply forget about her, and get on with everything else in life. After all, I’ve got my preening, eating and blog writing to attend to. But you know, it’s very important on both sides for us to make time for one another. Because Eileen, despite her limitations, still shines with love. Love towards me, and love towards others. And I love her back, big time. She talks to me softly, and strokes my feathers. And in return, I wolf-whistle at her, run through my repertoire of intimate sounds, and even go through the motions of regurgitation. And she always beams from ear to ear. After all, how many 92 year olds are there, who can truthfully say that they get wolf-whistled at every morning before breakfast? Not that many.
There are a great many people in our society who might not come across as being the most lively or dynamic, but you know, they usually have something to offer us. Whether it be love, or wisdom, some encouragement or a kind thought or prayer when we need it. And they really appreciate us spending a little time with them. I’m not just thinking of older people here, but those who are sick, those with disabilities and those with conditions such as Down’s Syndrome. We can give to them, and they can certainly give to us. It’s a two way process.
As my good friend Einstein, the African Grey parrot likes to say:
“We all have to make time for the important things in life. If we don’t, time will pass us by. Time is precious. Make sure you spend it with the right people.”
Are you wondering who “the right people” are? Well, Romans 12, verse 10 tells us that we should: “Honour one another above ourselves”, while verse 13 specifically says: “Share with God’s people who are in need.” And that sharing can quite simply be offering up some of our precious time to them. There is one verse in the New Testament that is repeated word for word in five different books. And this verse says quite simply this:
“Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:29; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14)
The problem in today’s society is that we are all so busy. We have to seize the opportunity, -that precious moment of time -to carry out our small gestures of love and thoughtfulness towards others. They won’t just happen of their own accord. I’ve been visiting Eileen for over five years now. She’s my neighbour in more ways than one. And what we offer to one another is something very unexpected and something very special. And we wouldn’t have it any other way……….