We have an asphalt walking trail where I work in Neenah. It's called The Friendship Trail. Kind of a generic name, although I have made some friends on the trail and I usually go walking with my best friend on the trail at lunchtime so I guess the name fits.
My friend and I were out walking the other day when we noticed a jogger approaching us. He was just jogging along, minding his own business. Suddenly a bird flew out of a tree and pecked him on the head from behind. The guy never saw it coming. And look at that beak! Ouch!!
I yelled out, "I saw that!" chastising the Red-Winged Blackbird that had just attacked someone on the so called "Friendship Trail."
"What was that? A bird?" the jogger asked.
"Yup. Red-Winged Blackbird. Their eggs have hatched and they are VERY protective of their young."
The following day I was out walking all by myself. Same trail. Same time. I saw another jogger, a woman this time, approaching the "danger zone." Guess what I did. I yelled out a warning.
"Watch out for the birds!! They're angry today!"
"I know! I got attacked yesterday!" was her reply, as she turned her head around - scanning. Danger was literally in the air.
Let me pause right here to have you read some scripture.
"The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand." - Ezekiel 33:1-6
How does that apply to the blackbirds? Well, if I had not warned the lady she could have been attacked. Her blood would have been on MY hands.
And how does that apply to our walk with Jesus? Let me ask you this? Are you the jogger or the watchman? When you see a friend doing something wrong, do you lovingly correct them? Do you ask them a question like, "I saw you hide a bag of something in your purse when that cop came by. What is it? What are you doing?"
Do you have an accountability partner? Is there someone in your life who keeps an eye on you and is not afraid to confront you if that catch you doing something bad?
I have several accountability partners. When they speak, I listen, because I know they love me and care about me and don't want me to make mistakes I will regret later. They don't want me to get hurt when they KNOW I will.
Who are YOU accountable to? When everyone has gone home and you are all alone, what do you do when no one is watching. Hey. SOMEONE is ALWAYS watching. God.
And don't be afraid to speak up. Somebody's life may depend on it. And, based on the verses above, the life you save might be your own.
To Save A Life Movie Trailer
How To Save A Life - The Fray
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