Fantastic Voices
The human voice can be very beautiful. Not mine! But others’ voices can be amazing! Yet, voices are created by just two elastic straps–and a bit of help from your throat and bone caves in your face. Those straps are hi-tech, to be sure, and the caves are nice, but it’s a minimal operation that yields beautiful results. God pulls off some pretty sweet things with just a few working parts!
There is something that exceeds your straps, however; the unassuming tiny syrinx in the chest of birds. It’s hidden away at the junction of the two bronchi airways coming from their lungs. It’s the most sophisticated sound producer on earth. It surpasses our straps because it’s more superbly equipped.
Bird Voices
A bird’s syrinx has two membranes it can slip in and out of two airways, not one like ours. The membranes are attached to super-speed muscles that can pump out 400 blistering pulses per second, a drummer’s dream. Not only that, but bird’s brains are wired with patterns that make both sets of pulses work in concert with each other! DNA-coded duets!
Birds are also equipped with all sorts of snazzy extras across the bird world including a “bulla” which equips geese with irritating, but kinda-cute, honks.
All and all, the equipping is quite stunning, creating everything from the gentle cheep of chicks and the fun hooting of owls to the melodic coo’s of the mourning dove and the insanely wild songs and calls of the exotic birds across the world.
Add in our voices, the crickets of the night, the sounds of the animals in the world and the sounds of nature like the bubbling of streams, the crashing of waves and the wind’s rustling trees’ leaves and you have quite a grand symphony of sounds that God has given us.
Don’t Pigeon-hole Yourself!
God is like this in our lives. He is aiming at many varied targets. He is honing character on many sides and is forming blessings from many venues. It’s not a one-string show. And He’s also forming us and educating us on many sides to bring many types of blessings to others. God is a rewarder of those who seek Him and it doesn’t mean just one type of reward; there are the many-varied blessings of both giving and receiving. It can be quite a beautiful blessing to be given things by the Lord to give to others, whether it be finances, provisions, words, music, helps, ideas, encouragements, counsel–all kinds of wonderful things!
Along this line, don’t pigeon-hole yourself into thinking you have one gift, that you are only a one-fiddle player. God gives us many remarkably different sounds as His gifts to us and He gives many different things through each of His sons and daughters.
Peter taught, spoke, healed, preached, loved, and wrote. Paul organized, lifted others up, co-ordinated, made tents, gave, wrote, talked, comforted and so much more. Lydia bought and sold, supported, encouraged, fed, sewed–and on goes the list. And all of them had the blessings of love and being loved and of having the Lord bring many wonders.
Be Courageous
Be courageous in all the many venues God has for you. You are never too young or too old or too inexperienced for all God has for you. He has much yet for you to learn and do and receive and enjoy! Be bold and courageous for God’s new things for you!
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
The greatest regrets of a Christian’s life are not what he or she did, but what was not done, what was not dared, what was not finished enough, what was not attempted for His sake. God’s unexpected beauty for you, your family and your friends and many you do not yet know rests on your courage.
Be bold like the apostles and the missionaries of the past and present! Take hold of His strength and help and go forward!
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” - Proverbs 28:1
Too many people who need to be bold though afraid are made inactive by fear and doing nothing. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by being bold when God wants you to be courageous.
Don Miller
“At this time the LORD said to me, ‘You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north…” - Deuteronomy 2:2-3
Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Don’t keep circling the same mountains of the status quo and indecision. Mark Batterson said it well; “At some point, you need to throw caution to the wind. DO IT after you have done due diligence, but do it!” (Chase the Lion p135)
Don Miller