THURSDAY 7th MAY 2020

WEDNESDAY 7th MAY 2020

Good morning friends,

Are you sitting comfortably? If so, let me tell you a story.

There once was a camel named Camilla. And every day she met up with her camel friends for chat at the local watering place. One day a herd of elephants came by and Camilla couldn’t help but notice how large their ears were.

She looked at her reflection in the water and said “my ears are so small, I wish had ears like these elephants.”

And before she knew what had happened, her tiny ears faded away and were replaced by large elephant ears.

She was so happy, and flicked her new ears back and forth as she walked along. Her friends all laughed at her, and so she decided to set off on her own.

The next day as she walked along she was quickly overtaken by a herd of antelopes, who stopped and asked her, “what are you?” She replied “I am a camelephant, of course......but Oh boy, I just love your long legs, if only I had legs like yours I could run really fast.”

So she closed her eyes and wished really hard for legs like an antelope, and before she knew it her camel legs faded away and were replace by thing elegant antelope legs. She was so happy, for now she could run like the wind, her ears flapping away at her side.

The next day she came alongside a river where she spotted a flock of pelicans, and she was amazed at their huge beaks, that could scoop up lots of fish at one time. She came alongside the birds, who said, “what are you?” “I am and camelephantelope, of course, but I wish I could have a large beak like yours so I could carry lots of food with me as I run along”

And before she knew it her small camel mouth faded away and was replaced by a huge pelican beak. And she was soooooooooo happy.

The next day she as she was running along, with her large ears flapping in the wind, and her beak filled with food, she heard the most beautiful singing coming from a tree just ahead. She stopped and looked up and there were the most beautiful bright yellow canaries.

It wasn’t so much their singing that impressed her but their vibrant coloured feathers. She stopped by the tree and the birds looked down and said, “what are you?” I am a camelephantelopelican, of course, but I feel so drab, I wish I could be as bright a yellow as you are...........and before she knew it she was covered in bright yellow feathers.!!!

And she was soooooo happy now that she was a camelephantelopelicanary......... except for one thing, she was beginning to miss her camel friends, and so she set off to find them, which she did, at the usual watering place.

She was very pleased to see them and ran over. They looked up and were amazed at the sight before them. “What are you?” they said. “It’s me, “she said, “Camilla” but they just laughed and turned away. Camilla looked at her reflection in the watering hole, and saw what she had become, and in that moment she realised how foolish she had been.

“Oh, how I wish I could go back to being a camel again” And before she knew it she was. And, never again did she try to be someone she wasn’t.

How often do we look at other people a wish we could change to be more like them?

When I was a runner, I often looked at other runners and tried to copy their techniques, wishing I had longer legs, or had a more “wiry” build, or had the latest running shoes, so I could be a better runner.

Sometimes I became quite obsessed with this, altering my running style, or trying to keep bettering my times. But all that happened was I got more and more stressed and sometimes found myself getting injuries.

Sometimes too, I allowed others to try to shape me into what they wanted me to be, which wasn’t healthy. Maybe you've had this happen to you?

It can happen our my walk as a Christian. Ever noticed how some folks appear to be so “holy” and you've wished you could be more like them...............pray more.........study scripture more.......be more contemplative, etc etc.............?

The thing is we are who we are, created in the image of God who knows us and loves us, and who made each one of us special and unique.

So, instead of looking at other people, trying to be like them, Let's keep our eyes focused on the Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit make any changes necessary that will be just perfect in us.

Something for us maybe to ponder today?

Spirit of the Living God Fall fresh on me Spirit of the Living God Fall fresh on me Melt me mould me Fill me use me Spirit of the Living God Fall fresh on me