I thoroughly enjoy watching animal footage on Discovery channel. I’ve taped some of it for repeated viewing.

Recently, there was a whole hour of material about animals of the same species which have developed strange little idiosyncrasies in order to survive. Some of them passed these discoveries along to their offspring. Others didn’t do that. The latter became “one of a kind” critters.

In our area of Florida, we’re blessed with lots of fascinating, beautiful birds. Some, the turkey vultures, really wouldn’t win any beauty contest, but without them, the roadkill would certainly choke our roadways!

From the time our three grandkids were old enough to go fishing, their Daddy has taken them. I’ve even been allowed to tag along! Our objective has never been to catch fish, clean them, and eat them. Perhaps that’s an admission that we’ve hardly ever caught fish considered “eatable cuisine”. Anyway, most of the fish we catch end up on a heron’s menu for supper. The grandkids have always called herons “Henry”. Just kinda became the generic name for all the birds in the long legged, knee bent backwards (ever notice that fact?) group of birds.

We have a lot of very tall blue herons, but not nearly as many of the other heron species. There is a gold-crested night stalking heron which I’ve observed – AT NIGHT! (g) This is a beautiful bird.

Well, on a recent program, they featured the green heron. Outside of the colors involved, the main difference is that the green heron has very short legs by comparison. They still bend backwards (compared to most other animals with knees). This feature allows them to bend forward and fish for small fish and crustaceans in the water.

The green heron is a bit handicapped by his short legs. He has to fish in quite shallow water where his prey can easily spot him and flee. The video showed how one green heron learned to adapt and cope. He noticed that kids came to the pond where he lived to feed chunks of bread to some ducks. He also noticed that little fish were always sneaking in and making off with some of the bread.

Well, he learned how to snag large chunks of bread from the mouths of the ducks. Because there was still too much competition for the available bread, he flew off to a quiet corner of the pond. Next, he carefully planted the bread in the most strategic location in reference to his bill and short legs. The bread attracted the small fish into the shallow water. They apparently were so enraptured with the thought of ingesting the bread, they failed to notice the green heron standing nearby. The green heron had never been so great as after he figured out the trick of catching his fish, using the bread as bait.

When we go fishing, we go where the fish live. We don’t fish in roadside ditches recently filled by rain. We don’t fish in our bath tubs!

Jesus told us in Matthew 10:16, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

This green heron appeared as innocent as a dove. However, he had developed a shrewd technique, by observing children’s behavior, that assured him (and probably his offspring) of a full stomach every day.

In Mark 1:17, Jesus said, “Come, follow me,” and I will make you fishers of men.”

What does the Lord say to you through this story? Please write and share your thoughts with me. I enjoy hearing from you whole bunches! Just use the “Leave a Reply” box below!

(I wish so much I could share all the responses that came in. So many, so excellent. BTW, many of these responses came from new readers sent our way by Bill Rayburn (www.yahoogroups.com/messages/heartwarming), publisher of Heartwarming. Thanks, Bill!!!)

– I just finished reading your post in Heartwarming, you said it all! My fiancee and I know an older(?) gentleman. He told us that he is in his mid 80’s. He has had surgery on his knee, he is a little crouched over when he walks. But, he is still working at the local grocery store, bagging groceries with a smile on his face. He NEVER complains about anything. He takes his wife to the hair dressers and wherever she needs to go.

     He is just so sweet, we always love to talk to him because he is so positive about everything. All of us “younger” folks have a lot to learn from people like that! I wish there were more around like him!

     I just felt that I had to write to tell you about this wonderful YOUNG man! He proves that you are only as old or young as you want to feel.

– God gives each one of us special talents and gifts. Some of those gifts and talents come with an attribute that, to us humans, seemingly is a handicap; however, in God’s eyes, is part of that special gift or talent. Most humans can only see what is at the surface level, nothing beyond what the eyes can capture. Most humans fail to look at the inside – what makes up that wonderful individual.

     I have a congenital problem – born with a dislocated right hip. My parents said that never calmed me down. I was still heck on wheels. I got around, pulling myself around with my arms, climbing on cabinets. As a little infant, just past the crawling stage, my parents would find me on the countertops in the kitchen or climbing the chest-of-drawers in the bedrooms. To this day, I try to find ways to overcome those special circumstances that our Heavenly Father gave me. I look at those “special circumstances” as opportunities to bring about further praise to His wonderful and majestic Name.

– That is so true. If I can, I would like to send it out to my Christian groups. Please let me know if I can. (Of course, permission was quickly granted. PJ)

– I received the story you told about the handicapped boy. The one where you said he ran around the baseball field and wouldn’t stop until he made it to home plate. It was very touching! It made tears come to my eyes. I am 18 years old. I am (far as I know) a very healthy teenager. Your story made me think of how blessed I am. I have two strong legs. I can go where I want without any help. I have two eyes. I can see God’s beautiful creation and read a book. I have two hands that work and can move to play the piano and write an essay or draw a picture. I have two strong lungs that God gave me to play the saxophone for His glory! I am so blessed!!

      I really was inspired by your story to be more thankful! To appreciate the healthy body that God has given me!! I just pray that I can be a help and an encouragement to those who are not so fortunate. To help them to never give up! Just as your story has inspired me to do!!

– Thanks for sharing your thoughts on how often we let ourselves off the hook way too easily.

     It’s a timely reminder for many of us who take life too easily and God too lightly.

– I think you hit the nail on the head. Most of us are adept at getting around obstacles instead of climbing over them. But “easy” is seldom right. We think we are getting off the hook, but God is still keeping “score”. I have been in the ministry for 44 years. Am now mostly retired, except when God needs me for something.

– Oh, Jerry! The last response to last week’s story has me absolutely in stitches! His or her response to finally getting into your column tickled me, but the idea of our poor Father with His head in His hands wondering where He went wrong really got me going, especially as I’m the mother of three young children. Boy, can I relate! And the last part about not being able to blame the in-laws’ side of the family blind sided me. Grant’s Bag ‘O Laughs speaks of Jesus as being the author of humor (I don’t know if that’s verbatim), and He must have been working overtime in this guy or gal’s response!

     As for your story this week, it’s a hard one for me to deal with. It’s so difficult sometimes to discern whether I’m trying to earn God’s grace by jumping into ministries that he hasn’t really led me to take part in, or trying to ignore His call (and take myself off the hook) because I don’t want to give up any more of “my” precious time. When I hear of a need for help with a certain ministry, I now wait a bit to listen. If God wants me to take part in that ministry, He usually lets me know in no uncertain terms. I quit working outside the home when my third child was born because I was tired of doing so many things, but doing none of them well. I try to remember that in my ministry, as well. I want to help wherever help is needed, but not at the expense of the ministries God has especially called me to.

     I love the format you’re using now, Jerry. I think you’ve hit on just the right mix of your insights and readers’ responses. God bless you and your ministry! You surely are a blessing to me.

(I suggested reading one of my archival pieces, “Yessirs & Slotfillers” – PapaJ)

– I enjoyed your article about not giving up, giving yourself excuses to fail, how some view handicaps VERY MUCH. I have a 9 year old son with Down Syndrome. He also is ADHD. He can’t speak, except for signing and has a great deal of trouble behaving himself. But he can actually read simple words and spell some already. He never ceases to amaze me. He is an inspiration to his whole family; myself, his father, six brothers and sisters to name a few. 🙂 We have grown so much since God sent him to bless our lives. I work with children with CP, blindness, deafness, etc. in an elementary school. I want to write a book about the wonderful attitudes these children have about everything they work so hard to do. Thanks for letting me share with you.

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