Feathers

“For if this doctrine or purpose or undertaking or movement is of human origin, it will fail but if it is of God, you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them” (Acts 5:38-39 Amp).

I’m having loads of fun this year with our new Rhode Island Red chicks and baby mallard ducks. They’re too cute. Wobbly, waddling and oh yes, pooping galore as they grow into bigger chickens and ducks—the smelly side of love! Know what I mean? Today I cleaned gunky starter-food from their cage and damp-mopped the laundry room floor. Funny thing though, I couldn’t gather all the tiny feathers they had shed. The more I labored to contain the lightweight fluff, the farther they scattered. Finally, I got down on all fours hoping to hand pick each individual feather. Not much success there either. Reddish plumes floated to practically every room of the house, even upstairs. Maybe the wind carried them or they lodged on the bottom of our shoes—who knows?

I can’t describe it any better than that. It’s the nature of feathers to float around and permeate the atmosphere. Like feathers that go many places, Christians are called to infiltrate every nook and cranny of the world carrying hope, good news and words of life that cannot be retrieved. Saturating the airwaves and shouting from the rooftop may our message go forth, reaping a bountiful harvest too numerous to count “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and teach them to obey every command which I have given you. And remember, I am with you always, day by day, until the Close of the Age” (Matthew 28:19-20 Weymouth).

Emphatically, God created with words. He spoke and miracles came forth. The gospel of John tells us: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.’ So, we’re not surprised Jesus’ words call forth His desired outcome “So shall my word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11 NKJV).