Running to Trouble

While a friend sat on his front porch enjoying the evening, he noticed a Starling family under a bush. The two youngsters were running around with the parents, but not able to fly yet. The parents gathered bugs for the younger birds and stayed under the bush. One youngster seemed content to follow the parents and hopefully learn about life. The second youngster ate bugs with the parents and then suddenly took off running toward the chain link fence where the cat lay watching the whole episode. The cat didn’t move and the bird ran right into its paws.

I wonder, “What was the little bird thinking.?” Running directly into trouble seems disconcerting. He had it made there with his parents to watch out for him and yet off he went.

But do we do that? We have God to protect us, guide us, help us and yet at times, we have run straight into trouble. Has the object of our run been intriguing, shiny, an adventure, curiosity? Why did we run into pride, or bask in self-adoration, or feel justified in criticizing another person?

Do we forget how God has helped us in the past or just want to do it ourself? Have we put God’s promises on the shelf when we got tired of waiting on Him?

We do have some running to do, but it is to follow what God has directed for our life. And that won’t get us into trouble.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Heb. 12:1

Helen L. Hoover