Seagulls, Pecking Orders and Blessings

While driving to work the other morning, I was (as I do each morning) listening to K-Love radio and the morning host shared a recent incident in which the Lord spoke to him.  While feeding seagulls, he came to realize that there are three kinds of seagulls.  When a cracker is held out for them to eat, there are those seagulls who hang back and watch from a distance as though they are afraid to take the cracker.  Also, there are those who settle for hanging out on the ground and settle for the crumbs. Then there are those who go right in and take the entire cracker right from the hand of the giver.  His observation was that we are like the seagulls in that we choose to A.) observe from the sidelines, B.) settle for the crumbs of a blessing, or C.) go right in and take the gift from the Giver.

After hearing this, and knowing much about the ways of seagulls, it dawned on me that the seagulls react in certain ways because in their "culture" there is a pecking order.  The strongest and fittest are the ones to fly right in and take it from the giver's hand.  However, with the Lord, it is not this way!  We ALL have equal access to the blessings He hold out from His children.  While we settle for watching from the sidelines or picking up the crumbs left from others, He desires for all of us to have faith and trust enough to fly in and swoop up the blessings He holds out for us.

Now you, like me, might think that it is selfish to "grab up" the blessings He has in store for me.  Actually, He is FULL of blessings and is overjoyed to share the many blessings He has with each one willing to partake of them!

This insight and the wonderful analogy He gave to me as well has changed my outlook on blessings.  It is not that He is not wanting to, willing to, or going to bless me....it is whether or not I am wanting to, willing to, and going to dive in and take the blessing, giving Him full credit and thanks for His love for me.  It is not out of greed that we receive blessings, it isn't because we have earned the blessing or deserve it...it is that the Father wants to give us blessings and is elated when we accept what He is offering.