Learning lessons from a peacock's feet
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
But now ask the beasts to teach you, the birds of the air to tell you; Or speak to the earth to instruct you, and the fish of the sea to inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this? In his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mortal flesh (Job 12:7).
Nature has always fascinated me, especially animals.
Like many people, I feel a particular bond with animals of all kinds, and am delighted with any chance encounter with my feathered or four-legged friends.
Today’s encounter was with a peacock, strutting unexpectedly along the side of the road that runs through the local park. Though the feathers were a shadowy blue-grey, the feathers’ “eyes” still stood in brilliant contrast, providing an early morning work of art.
Driving on my way to work, I wondered what meaning the peacock might hold for me this day.
Peacock lore includes a story about one of the bird’s most outstanding features – its eerie and raucous call. As the story goes, it seems the peacock has ugly feet and every time it catches sight of its feet it screeches.
Been there – which is why I gladly accepted the gift of my first pedicure, including a foot massage, when my son was getting married. I felt like a new person when I came out of that session, like I was walking on clouds.
Scripture, however, tells us that action, not appearance, is the defining characteristic of feet:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation …” (Isaiah 52:7).
As a person with feet in need of a makeover, this verse always makes me smile, and encourages my heart. Through it I am reminded that, even in those times when our feet seem to be mired in mud, or are taking too many steps backwards, as long as we continue to be bearers of peace and bringers of the Good News of Jesus to others then our feet are instruments of God.
No doubt St. Theresa of Avila would agree, as her much-loved poem reveals:
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion is to look out to the earth, yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.”
I think tonight I’m going to pull out that warm water foot massager and treat my feet. They have a lot of important work to do.
Mary Morrell serves as the managing editor of The Monitor.
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But now ask the beasts to teach you, the birds of the air to tell you; Or speak to the earth to instruct you, and the fish of the sea to inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this? In his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mortal flesh (Job 12:7).
Nature has always fascinated me, especially animals.
Like many people, I feel a particular bond with animals of all kinds, and am delighted with any chance encounter with my feathered or four-legged friends.
Today’s encounter was with a peacock, strutting unexpectedly along the side of the road that runs through the local park. Though the feathers were a shadowy blue-grey, the feathers’ “eyes” still stood in brilliant contrast, providing an early morning work of art.
Driving on my way to work, I wondered what meaning the peacock might hold for me this day.
Peacock lore includes a story about one of the bird’s most outstanding features – its eerie and raucous call. As the story goes, it seems the peacock has ugly feet and every time it catches sight of its feet it screeches.
Been there – which is why I gladly accepted the gift of my first pedicure, including a foot massage, when my son was getting married. I felt like a new person when I came out of that session, like I was walking on clouds.
Scripture, however, tells us that action, not appearance, is the defining characteristic of feet:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation …” (Isaiah 52:7).
As a person with feet in need of a makeover, this verse always makes me smile, and encourages my heart. Through it I am reminded that, even in those times when our feet seem to be mired in mud, or are taking too many steps backwards, as long as we continue to be bearers of peace and bringers of the Good News of Jesus to others then our feet are instruments of God.
No doubt St. Theresa of Avila would agree, as her much-loved poem reveals:
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion is to look out to the earth, yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.”
I think tonight I’m going to pull out that warm water foot massager and treat my feet. They have a lot of important work to do.
Mary Morrell serves as the managing editor of The Monitor.
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