We have quite a few bird feeders on our property to accommodate as many kinds of birds as possible and enjoy them flitting to and fro, up and down, over and around as they look for the perfect morsel that will bring ultimate satisfaction!
The hummer feeder right outside my kitchen window is especially close to the house and has lent itself to some really awesome photos. However, those birds feeding at the feeders further from the house are especially hard to photograph, because as one friend put it, “Birds don’t willingly pose, so if I want photos of them, I have to be prepared!”
Our Christian lives are similar to anticipating impromptu photo shoots of the birds, in the sense of needing to be prepared to share our faith with others. Sometimes we only get a single chance to share with people we don’t know well—or at all; entering our lives for a moment, then are gone. Birds come to the feeders for food--- even daily; but can we know it’s the same bird that came the day before?
Having cameras ready to snap the shot is the only way to get the perfect view on any given day. When we prepare, by knowing God’s Word, being in prayer and aligned with Christ, we are making ready for the moment an opportunity presents itself, to share the Gospel.
Another person compared this same scenario with catching fish. Fishing requires preparation: a fishing pole, some bait, a pond, and patience. It’s not always instant gratification, just as it isn’t with photographing birds. Wild creatures don’t come at our bidding—just because we ask. We must have something to offer!
The bird watcher offers bird food, --suet, dry food or specialty food. The fisherman offers worms, lures or other bait and then we wait for the bird or fish to spot the food and come after it, or get ‘caught’ quite by accident. The catch for fisherman is fish to eat (or let loose—depending on the reason for fishing). For the photographer, it’s the perfect pose of the tiny beautiful bird.
When we are prepared to share the Gospel, our words may seem to be unheard, or even ignored or misunderstood. But we must put the ‘bait’ out there—offering God’s food—to those who don’t know, then wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to tug on the person’s heart, until ultimately God reaps the harvest!
If we want to share the Gospel, we must be prepared just as the scripture from Ephesians 6 describes, to be effective!
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17
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