(~) A LOT OF COURAGE
A businessman boards an airplane to find that his neighbor in first class
is a parrot. They take off and the stewardess asks what they would like to
drink. "I'll have a Coke," says the parrot. The
businessman also orders a Coke. After waiting two or three minutes, the
bird starts yelling, "Where's my drink?! Stop fooling around and give me
my drink!"
The stewardess runs to him with his glass, leaving the businessman still
thirsty. Half an hour later the stewardess makes a second round. The bird
orders another Coke and a Wall Street Journal. The businessman asks again
for his Coke. Again, after waiting a couple of minutes, the bird screams,
squawking, "Are you lazy or stupid? I want my drink, and don't forget my
paper!" The poor stewardess nearly trips over herself getting the parrot
his drink and the newspaper. The businessman still has nothing, and after
ten more minutes he decides to take his cue from the bird.
"Hey! Bring me my Coke right now!" he shouts. Out of nowhere the
stewardess, the captain and two passengers grab the businessman and the
bird, open the hatch and throw them out of the plane. At 30,000 feet, the
two are falling side by side. The parrot says to the terrified man, "Wow
-- that took a lot of guts for a guy with no wings!"
It takes more courage for some people to do some things than it does
others. For example, it doesn't take a lot of courage for me to get up and
preach Jesus as the Christ on Sunday morning. The worst consequence I face
is a nodding head in the pew. There are those in the world, though, at
this very moment who face very serious consequences for doing the same
thing. They risk punishment, even to the point of death. The courage of
others is an inspiration to the rest of us. That's why the Hebrew writer
told about some of the trials faced by the saints of the Old Testament:
"Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom so they could be
raised from the dead to a better life. Some were laughed at and beaten.
Others were put in chains and thrown into prison. They were stoned to
death, they were cut in half, and they were killed with swords. Some wore
the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor, abused, and treated badly.
The world was not good enough for them! They wandered in deserts and
mountains, living in caves and holes in the earth. All these people are
known for their faith, but none of them received what God had promised.
God planned to give us something better so that they would be made
perfect, but only together with us." (Hebrews 11:3540, NCV)
Robert Anthony once said, "Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid
and act anyway."
Very likely, there is something which God is calling you to do that scares
you to death. May you blessed with the courage you need to act anyway.
Have a great day!
Alan Smith
Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
http://Rainbow-Christian.tk
The Lord is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
My Yahoo Group
http://Ninure.tk
My Online Diary
http://www.ninure.deardiary.net
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Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
http://www.MCCchurch.org
To send e-mail, remove nohate from address
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