The story is told of a woman who bought
a parrot to keep her company, but she returned it the next day. “This bird
doesn’t talk,” she told the owner.
“Does he have a mirror in his
cage?” he asked. “Parrots love mirrors. They see their reflection and
start a conversation.” The woman bought a mirror and left.
The next day she returned; the bird
still wasn’t talking. “How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders. A happy
parrot is a talkative parrot.” The woman bought a ladder and left.
But the next day, she was back.
“Does your parrot have a swing? No? Well, that’s the problem. Once he
starts swinging, he’ll talk up a storm.” The woman reluctantly bought a
swing and left.
When she walked into the store the next
day, her countenance had changed. “The parrot died,” she said. The
pet store owner was shocked.
“I’m so sorry. Tell me, did he
ever say anything?” he asked.
“Yes, right before he died,”
the woman replied. “In a weak voice, he asked me, ‘Don’t they sell any
food at that pet store?’ “
Sometimes we forget what’s really
important in life. We get so caught up in things that are good while neglecting
the things that are truly necessary. We’ve got to provide the family with a
nice house. And of course, we’ve got to have at least two cars. And to make
everybody truly happy, we need the latest computer. But, if we’re not careful,
we’ll make the mistake of thinking those (and many other such
“things”) are the things that bring us satisfaction and meaning.
Jesus said, “The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what
God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.”
(Matthew 6:33, NCV).
Jesus didn’t say you shouldn’t want
those other things, but this is what you should want “most”.
Take a moment to do a “priority
check”, and strive for what is *most* important today. Don’t wait for the
parrot to die!
Have a great day!
Alan Smith
