Living in a domestic zoo can be an exciting experience, especially when a Sun
Conure is added to the menagerie. The bird’s vibrant orange breast, bright
yellow wings, and red cheek patches make her by far the prettiest bird we own.
Besides being beautiful, a Sun Conure is also a talented entertainer. Ours is no
exception. She hangs upside down from one foot, she sleeps on her back, she
plays dead, she crawls down our clothing and to eat our T-Shirts and buttons,
she even feeds the dog! Every morning when she receives her dish of vegetables,
she waits until our Golden Retriever puppy is paying attention, and then she
pitches carrots and peas to the floor in front of her. She literally keeps us in
stitches!
She is also a particularly affectionate bird. She loves to give kisses and preen
hair—even the puppy’s! Her all time favorite pastime is to be caressed—under her
wings, her feet, her tail—literally everywhere! All of this affection, however,
is only poured out upon one individual in our home: My husband. She tolerates
the rest of us if he’s not around, but the change that comes over her when he
gets home from school is beautiful to see.
If this little piece of joy has one tiny negative traits, it is definitely her
voice! Many of the smaller members of the parrot family make beautiful, quiet
sounds, and she can too. But her specialty is a window-rattle, ear piercing:
SQUAWK!!!!! She squawks when she’s hungry. She squawks when she’s bored. She
squawks when she wants attention. She squawks when she wants to be left alone.
She squawks when the other birds chirp. But mostly, she squawks when she can’t
see my husband!
The other day, my boys and I gathered the birds for story time. All of our
feathered friends enjoy this ritual, for besides sharing stories and prayers, we
also share crackers! But for some reason Squawky wasn’t happy. She refused her
cracker and squawked until she finally flew away. Because her wings are clipped,
she soon crashed; but this didn’t deter her in the least! She proceeded to march
purposefully across the floor—directly to my husband’s feet. We all thought she
would climb his pant leg, but she didn’t. As soon as she had rubbed her head
against his slipper, she marched back and climbed onto my shoulder to position
herself where she could see my husband. Then she squawked for her cracker!
Spoiled? Definitely! But shouldn’t we all be the same? Shouldn’t being with our
Master become the goal of each and every person? Shouldn’t our number 1 ambition
be to seek His face? Shouldn’t we, too, “squawk” when something blocks our view
of our Lord and Savior?
The next time something seems to be standing between you and Jesus, remember
Squawky. Fly. Walk. Squawk. Do whatever you have to do to get your eyes fixed
back on Jesus!
“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chron 16:11, Ps.
105:4)
Lyn Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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