When our oldest son was two, his favorite movie was Bambi. If you recall, the little bunny, Thumper, kept trying to teach the newborn Bambi how to say “bird”. It took some time, but Bambi finally said it. Thumper was ecstatic and hopped around saying, “He said bird!”
The day our younger son was born, my father sat in a chair helping the new big brother hold his baby brother. Big brother kept trying to get little brother to say “bird”. To our son’s disappointment, his brother just yawned.
Two and a half years later our younger son still said very few words. We soon discovered that he was hearing impaired and would require hearing aids. One afternoon our family was in a farm and country store. There were some baby chicks in a pen, and we stopped to look at them. As we began walking away, our little guy murmured, “Bird.” This time I was the ecstatic one and wanted to shout, “He said bird! He said bird!”
I believe this is how God feels when one of his beloved finally understands what He has been trying to teach them for so long. After a prolonged period of disappointment and grief, it is a time for shouting, celebration and tears of joy.
We all need to take time to listen to God and to discern what he is trying to teach us. Instead of wandering through the desert for forty years, we should give Him the opportunity to celebrate over us. After all, He loves us and wants the best for His children.
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