Lessons from a Crow

Driving back from Pueblo at midnight I was asking the Lord, what were you trying to teach me with that crow...the one whose head was caught in the fence? So here goes. This is what I learned:

We can not rescue ourselves. We can use all our God given talents to live our lives to the fullest, but we will get ourselves into situations that no one can get us out of. The sin that our world is steeped in, will seep into us and like that crow...our heads will be fatally caught in it, and we will be unable to pull ourselves free. Without God, we will die in our sin and our confusion, right there on the fence.


 

Pray persistently! I was 60-100 feet away, but I had no idea what the true situation was. Now, this is not a perfect analogy, but hang with me. The family and loved ones of that trapped crow were bombarding the gates of heaven with their cries of distress on behalf of their loved one. They were passionate and persistent! Like the man needing to borrow a loaf of bread and some food from a neighbor in Luke 11:5-13, they didn't stop knocking....and gave me no peace! Finally, I just couldn't stand it, and had to respond, and their friend was set free.


It takes a power much greater, with different abilities, to act and save.  A crow can not rescue another crow. Similarly, there is no human solution to sin. We can help, we can love, we can forgive, and support, but like the crows, who could not physically use their wings to deliver their friend, we do not have what it takes on our own, to deliver or save anyone. We don't have the spiritual hands, the power, to lift ourselves or anyone else, out of sin. There is only One with that power, and those hands and His cleansing power comes from above.


Relax. He's got us!  Being rescued into His kingdom can be scary and make you swoon, and sometimes you will try to escape right back into the sin, you were fleeing. Sometimes the cure really does feel as if it is our last stop, as if we have come to the end. My crow submitted to my efforts to help him, for a time, then he flew when he thought he was strong enough. He didn't know he was still too weak and in shock. He landed face first in the snow and now was set for a second death, freezing and suffocating in the snow. That head of his kept getting him into trouble. Doesn't that happen to us? "Thank you Lord for that answered prayer, I can take it from here," we say, and soon find ourselves face first in it, all over again!  To surrender to the touch of the Lord Jesus, means to quit fighting, to relax, and let go of all control and to trust that our rescuer knows what He is doing. The final peace of that little heart in my hands was extraordinary. When he came into my home and rested for three hours, in the warm sun, with no squaking and no  movement, he recovered. Sometimes we need to just rest in Him, lay our selves upon his chest and sleep. Let Him do His gentle work upon our souls.




Never give up Hope. This is the last lesson I learned. The mourning crows saw his immanent death and respectfully gave up their cries and one by one, flew solemnly away.  Can you imagine what they felt when they saw him, brought back to life, three hours later? Our God SAVES. He is the LORD of LIFE and it is all in His capable hands. Put your trust in Him and you will see Mighty Miracles!

Out of death, will come LIFE!