Linnie Lessons
Lineolated Parakeets. You might not have heard of them
before. That's because these birds aren't common today.
These birds, which are called Linnies for short, are a
little larger than a Budgie, and they have little black
lines running all around their bodies. They come in many
colours, including blue, green, and cream.
I have a blue Linnie named Mexico. (This is because Linnies
originally come from Mexico!). He also has a green mate
named China, who belongs to my brother. They like to spend
lots of time together, and when separated, one (usually
Mexico,) starts to tweet for the other one to come back. If,
after all the annoying racket they make, they do not refind
each other, they eventually shut up and our ears are
thankful. Well, it's like us with God. Sometimes worldly
things separate us from God. He always calls us back, (Rev
3:20: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with him, and he with me.") but sometimes we're too busy to
answer, and we drift farther and farther from him.
Eventually we're too far to hear him.
When the Linnies do see one other again, they always fly
towards each other! I think we should act like them and go
answer God even quicker than they do.
Another thing that we can learn from them is that, unlike
their relatives, the Budgie, and other smaller birds in the
parrot family, these birds act a lot like parrots. For
example, they hold their food in their feet, instead of
picking it up with their beaks, which is a good thing,
because when birds use their beaks, the food usually drops,
and it either gets eaten by the dog, or it gets abandoned.
They also do many other parrot-like things, like being
acrobats. Well, us humans are a lot like those birds.
Sometimes we act like Budgies and Cockatiels in thinking
that we're too small to do things God asks us to do. But
sometimes we act like the Linnies and do what God asks us to
do immediately, in spite of our size. (Phil 4:13: I can do
everything through him who gives me strength.)
We can learn a lot from these birds if we want to. There is
a lot that they can do to give us wonderful lessons. We just
have to watch and learn.
Donovan, aged 11