“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. .. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face (in all things).” Psalm 105:1-4
I was canoeing on the intercoastal waterway at the beach last year and decided to paddle to a group of pylons that are home to a huge flock Pelicans. Many took flight as I approached, but just as many stayed to watch me, dive bomb me, haha, or stay atop the nest with their young. I stopped paddling and allowed myself to drift around just to watch how they interacted with each other , catch fish, etc. This one kept confidently watching me and turning in circles upon the pylon as the current took the canoe in different directions all around them. At the time I pondered what he/she thinks of me invading their domain. While all the others were very concerned about my presence, this Pelican just calmly watched. I got some really nice pictures of all of them, but his one has always stood out to me for some reason. As my canoe drifted right up next to this Pelican’s pylon not only did he/she not fly away, but instead made eye contact, turning his/her head in curiosity, and holding his/her wings up and extended in a type of pose, but not flying away, then just relaxing the wings and enjoying the wind. All the while, he/she was watching me. The moment became surreal, as if the Pelican was showing off, but not in a threatening way towards me and my canoe. I lingered. My perception was not fear of attack, but rather awe of the majesty of this large interestingly created bird. From the beak bill and pouch to the beautiful coloration of the feathers underneath, I was struck by the careful detail of this Pelican as I had only ever seen them from afar. I wondered what his/her perception of me was and want this moment in time meant.
This week, one year later, I am reminded of this Pelican encounter and asked the Lord, |”Why are you reminding me of this right now, at this point in time, and how on earth am I going to find the picture? The next day this picture popped up in my google memories! I searched the biblical meaning of Pelicans and found they are symbolic of the Passion of Christ, Being Charitable, and Self-Sacrifice. Then the Lord began to teach me about the importance of staying focused on the Truth of each word, argument, political campaign, relationship, discussion, and church organizations. In this time of great uncertainty, Christian believers must remember not to hide away in a corner waiting for the danger to pass. Like Pelicans, we must be bold, clever, and take the solitary time to perceive all that is going on around us through the Holy Spirit’s eyes of Truth. We are called to stand firm, stand up for what is right, help all those in need, and share the Truth, even if it means we must self sacrifice comfort, safety, and friendships. It can be a lonely journey. However, believers will find themselves in a much worse way by staying silent, hiding away, or giving up.
In your world, who can you tell about Jesus? Who can you help today? Are there adjustments you can make to your life to stand up in Truth?