Richard

In 1969, I lived in a house dorm while a student at Tennessee Temple College.  The student body had grown, and the administration used converted houses while the new dormitory was being built.  I lived upstairs in Riley Hall.  It was late spring, we had no air conditioning, so the doors and windows were wide open.  All of the sudden, a parakeet flew in the door, up the stairs, and into my room (my door was the only door that was open).  He landed on a shelf and looked around like he owned the place.  The shelf was over a clothes rack and had a mirror on it, which the bird spied.  He walked over, admired himself and began to sing.  Then, very distinctly, the bird said, “Richard”.  I didn’t know if the bird’s name was Richard or his owner’s name was Richard, but he was someone’s special pet.  I bought some seed for the bird, which he enjoyed.  The bird came and went as he pleased.  I thought, if the bird flew in on its own accord, it should be allowed to fly out on its own accord as well.  Richard had an interesting way of flying.  He flew one foot, and then another foot, and then another foot until he got to where he was going.  He flew in a series of tiny swoops.  Richard had grown up in a cage and was accustomed to flying from one side of a cage to the other side.  Richard was not used to flying across a block or a front yard or even a room for that matter.  Hey, often that is how we live the Christian life.  We live a series of attempts at “soaring” above sin and discouragement.  We just don’t realize that we are really free in Christ.  Jesus said in John 8:32&36, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  We don’t have to live lives in defeat.  We can live in victory!  Jesus died to pay for our sins, and we are forgiven!  Let’s live today in the joy of God’s forgiveness!