Recently I saw a Youtube Video of a man rescuing an owl that had gotten himself tangled up in a fishing net. In the beginning, the owl wanted nothing to do with the rescue. He was wide-eyed, screeching very loudly, and trying his best to fly away from the unfortunate predicament he was in. But alas, he could not fly away because he was far too entangled in a mess he could not, himself, fix.
Fortunate for the owl, the very patient man endured the sharp clawing and wrestling until he was able to get a good enough grip on the bird to be able to begin the process of setting him free. Moment by moment, you could see the owl settle down, as he finally realized the man was there to help him, not harm him.
Suddenly, I am reminded of Psalm 46:10, “Be Still and know that I am GOD”, or as the NASB version says it:
“CEASE STRIVING, And Know That I AM GOD.”
This is such a tender reminder of the patience of our GOD in the middle of our striving. In the middle of our screeching, our sharpness, our fight. Often, we are caught in a net of our own making. But too true also, are the nets we get caught in due to the poor choices of others. Because a careless fisherman chose not to clean up after himself, a poor innocent owl nearly lost his life.
Thankfully, another fisherman came along who was kind, patient, and willing to allow himself to get hurt in the process to bring freedom to the owl.
Oh Lord God, like that poor owl, I too, at times, have found myself entangled in some messes I simply could not get out of on my own. Sadly, because of fear, I remained trapped much longer than was necessary. Thank You, Lord, for opening my eyes to the kindness of my Savior. Because of that kindness I was finally able to surrender to the loving process that would ultimately bring me freedom.