Today as I began my walk I looked out in the pond and saw something swimming in the water. It was long and skinny. At first I thought it might be a snake but as it swam closer I saw that it was a bird of some sort but why was the body so far beneath the water? Then it took a dive and I waited and waited. It was under water for nearly a minute then surfaced, eating a fish. As I continued walking I noticed that it had flown to the bank and was standing with his wings outstretched. Again wondering why it was doing this. When I got back home I looked it up and realized the bird I was observing was a double crested Cormorant. They sit low in the water, with only some of their body and the neck visible. They have less preen oil than other birds, so their feathers can get soaked rather than shedding water like a duck’s. This seems like a problem for a bird that spends its life in water, but wet feathers make it easier for cormorants to hunt underwater with agility and speed allowing them to dive up to 65 feet and they can stay under water for up to 70 seconds. They often stand in the sun with their wings spread out to dry.
I started thinking about how God created this bird unique and different. Each of us was created uniquely by our creator as well. It is a struggle for the cormorant to keep his body above the water. How many times do we feel like our heads are barely above water. We feel like we are drowning from the weight and situations that effect our lives. Think about this Cormorant, when he gets into the water his feathers become soaked, the water weighs him down so much that his head sticks out. But he has to go into the water, why? Because that is where his nourishment is. The very thing that keeps his body alive lives in the water. Fish is the only thing that the Cormorants eat. The wet feathers that seems to be a limitation, actually propels him through the depth of the waters. Afterward he stands on the bank drying his outstretched wings.
I believe God wants to say to you today, Don’t give up, you may have gone through things this week, this month, this year that has weighed heavily on you to the point that you feel like you are drowning and your head is barely above the water. You have cried out for deliverance, you have cried out for change, you have cried out for God to rescue you. You are tired of living in that place, tired of the feelings that have seemed to drown you, consume you and pull you under. You want the joy to come back in your life. You want to feel the peace of God surround you so the hurting will stop. The very thing that wants to weigh you down is the very thing that God wants to use, to propel you forward into His purpose and plan. He has designed you with His strength that dwells in you so that you are able to go through these times with His Power. His desire is for you to walk in healing, joy and peace.
My prayer is that God would reveal His purpose for your life and that you would run with passion through every obstacle that comes your way. He will bring you through on the other side and you will find rest in Him. There is an old hymn that comes to mind the chorus is Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus. I’ve learned to trust in God…through it all I have learned to depend upon His Word.
Psalm 91: Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. He will cover you with his feathers,and under his wings you will find refuge.