March 2011 Newsletter
Guest Pulpit - Pastor Joe Fry
The Screech Owl
Something to
Consider
I
haven’t heard one of these little creatures in quite a while. In
fact, the last one I heard was back in the ’40s. They were
called Screech Owls, and for a good reason. If you were outside
after dark and just a little jumpy to boot, and one of these
darlings of God’s creation cut loose – it would scare the living
breath out of you. Their call sounded like a woman in severe
pain, like she was being tortured to death.
It
just so happened that the first time I heard Mr. Screech Owl,
was on a dark night just after a neighbor died and they were
holding the viewing of the deceased in the house next door (that
is the way that they did it when I was young). My blood ran
cold. “What was that?” I demanded, from a friend standing
close, and in a quiet and calm voice, he said, “Oh, that’s only
a screech owl.”
“Well,”
I responded, “it sure scared me.” He owned up to the fact that
it scared him the first time he heard one, too. He also told me
that there was a belief that after someone died and you heard
any owl, someone else nearby was also going to die. That belief
didn’t sit very well with me. As the days went by I was waiting
for another neighbor to die. But of course that didn’t happen
and I learned that was just a superstition that made the
rounds.
Screech
owls were common in that day and I eventually learned to ignore
them. But this one sure set my heart to racing, big time. They
are a small creature, only about nine inches tall, and weighing
less than seven ounces – but when they cut loose you can hear
them from several hundred yards away.
Later,
when any of my friends were with me and heard the sound they
made, it was my turn to act all calm and cool about the
matter. “Oh, that sound; it’s only a screech owl.” I lost all
fear, and even came to welcome their eerie night time calls.
But,
like a lot of God’s special creatures, their ranks are
dwindling. It has been well over 70 years since I last heard
one. They were harmless to people. Other than scaring you, they
posed no threat at all. But, there are some special things I
learned from these unusual birds, and that brings me to my
point.
There
are some things that frighten us, or at least, they do me. They
bring sudden fear upon us. Death, suffering, even the presence
and purpose of God are just a few. I was afraid God would call
me to preach, or to serve Him in some capacity. When the thought
came to my mind, sudden fear would come upon me again. That
caused me to put off surrendering to God’s call on my life for
about fifteen years. Why was I fearful? It was because I didn’t
have enough information as to what God wanted to do with my
life.
The
point is this: the more I learned about the screech
owls, the less fearful I was of them. The more I have come to
know God and His will and purpose for my life, the less fearful
I become of how God wants to use me. The more I know God and the
more I listen to Him, the more I know His yoke is easy and His
burdens are light. Besides, perfect love casts out all fear.
Matt
11:28-30;
Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light.
1
John 4:18-19
There is no fear in
love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath
torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We
love him, because he first loved us.
Are
you afraid to say, “Yes,” to the Lord?
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