The Lesson of the Seagulls

 

The Lesson of the Seagulls

Jan Griffith

Written February 21, 2013

for my friend and daughter in Christ: Emily Raffety

Edited: July 2020

“For God hath revealed unto them the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, which are clearly seen; things which are not seen being understood by the things that are made, through his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

Jan’s translation: God reveals the invisible by providing us with visible things we can see with our eyes. All earthly things are things we can see and are metaphors for heavenly things. All earthly things point to, and typify our God, Jesus Christ.

Many times, I’ve had the pleasure of feeding bread to seagulls. From the time I was small, feeding them gave me a lot of joy as they would gather and hover around at the first sign of food flying through the air. One year I got the stupid idea of letting them take food directly from my hand, not realizing their beaks were so sharp. Never again!

Here we were on another vacation to Florida’s beautiful gulf coast, and I had saved some bread from our previous evening’s meal for the seagulls. Not wanting to attract all the seagulls too soon, I hid the bread in my hand as I walked out of the pool patio area and stepped onto the beach. Yet no sooner did my feet touch the sand but what I noticed one seagull was already there, looking at me, as if he had been standing there for hours patiently waiting for me to show up. I said to Dave, “It’s like he knows I have food in my hand!” And then a few other seagulls gathered around us, and before long I was surrounded by a multitude. This was unusual. Dave and I were perplexed. I hadn’t yet disclosed the bread in my hand, yet they seemed to know I was about to feed them. I wondered about that first seagull who was already there, looking at me, waiting for me. How did he know? Maybe God had sent him to me so I would have this story to tell.

Clipart seagull - WikiClipArt

Dave decided he wanted to tape the show that was about to happen, so asked if I would hold off feeding them until he could retrieve his video camera. He suggested I go back through the gate and into the pool patio area so that the seagulls wouldn’t come around too soon. Sure enough, as soon as I backed up, they quit hovering. Most of them got tired of waiting and flew away. But not that first seagull. No, he just stood there. Not taking his eyes off me even for a second, he waited patiently. He looked so hungry.

A minute or so later, I noticed that almost all the other seagulls had lost interest. They had become distracted by other events and flew away. Maybe three or four remained nearby, but not as close as that one seagull who wouldn’t take his eyes off me. Yet even among the few birds that stayed, there were those who were more interested than others. Some of them appeared to grow tired and decided to lay down in the sand as if to prepare for a nap. All the while, that first bold bird stayed right there, watching me, and waiting patiently. He was a long-suffering little thing. Never once did his eyes depart from my presence.

When Dave returned, which seagull do you think got my first big piece of bread? Of course, it was the one who watched me, and waited patiently for the food.

“Verily I say unto you, Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching; for he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." (Luke 12)

The birds who had flown away missed out altogether, which reminded me of certain parables Jesus told, like the parable of the wedding supper, and the parable of the ten virgins. In the parable of the ten virgins, some of the virgins were watching for Jesus to return . When he finally did, they were invited into the wedding supper. The other virgins, not watching, were not invited.

Ask the Fowls of the Air, and They Shall Tell Thee (Job 12:7)

The Book of Job tells us to ask the birds, for they can teach us lessons about God. When Dave returned with his video camera, I said to him (as I was hurling the first piece of bread into the air), “The lesson of the seagulls is ‘Ask and ye shall receive!’” And with those words, my first pieces of bread fed the seagulls that had patiently waited for it. Obviously, they had not “verbally asked” me for bread, but by their waiting, and watching, and patience, and diligence, they had indeed asked for it. They believed I would feed them, and so they received of my abundance.

One of the spiritual lessons of the birds is that whenever we ask for bread (which represents the Word of God), in faith believing, God will feed us the Living Bread of Eternal Life.

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

“Give us this day, our daily bread." (Matthew 6:12)

“This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eateth of this bread shall live forever." (John 6:58)

The first seagull was the first to receive my bread. He was the most blessed because he was already there, waiting for me. Likewise, those of us who wait and long for Christ’s bread will be the first to eat it.

“And therefore, will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)

“Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.” (Luke 12:37)

“Blessed and holy are they who have part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)

Like the seagull who kept his eyes focused on me, when we keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ, he will fill us with understanding of his bread (his Word).

“The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single to the glory of God, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matthew 6:22)

Like the seagull who boldly approached me, we can boldly approach Christ in our times of hunger.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Like the seagulls that stayed a farther distance away, sometimes we are too fearful of being in God’s presence.

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off” (Exodus 20:18) …“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

Like a few of the seagulls that grew tired of waiting for me and went off to take naps on other parts of the beach, if we don’t stay spiritually alert and awake, we could be deceived, and miss the partaking of God’s future smorgasbord.

“Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

Like the seagulls that became impatient and flew off, worldly distractions will starve us, and keep us spiritually unfruitful.

“And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-19)

Like only those few seagulls who waited and watched for me, only a remnant of God’s people wait, and watch for him.

“Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.” (Romans 9:27)

Like many of those seagulls that returned too late to receive any food, so too will many of God’s people return too late for the food he could have fed them, which would have filled them with light and truth.

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” (Matthew 25:6-10)

In Whose Hand is the Soul of Every Living Thing (Job 12:10)

But there was still more for me to learn from these birds. After my bread was all gone, I felt sad for the other seagulls that had missed out on the feast. After pondering the previous spiritual lessons, I asked myself, “Am I more compassionate than God because I want all of these birds to be fed, even though only a few of them were willing to watch and wait with diligence and patience?”

The answer, of course, was that I am not more compassionate than God. And that if a mere mortal such as I had a love so deeply for these birds, and wished all of them could be fed, then surely God’s love is greater, and he will not rest until all his Creation has been filled with his Living Bread, his Word that was made flesh.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11)

When all the bread I had brought was depleted, and all those seagulls were still hovering above me looking for food, I said out loud, “I want all of them to have food!” Dave then humorously responded, “You have become a bleeding heart wanting to feed the whole world; even those birds who don’t deserve any bread.” He was kidding. J

Well, like the seagulls who had first wandered away, the prodigal son had also wandered away. Remember him? He was that immature kid who spent all of his father’s inheritance and wasted it with riotous living (Luke 15). But after he had grown tired of eating pig’s food, he remembered his father’s house, and all the good food he had left behind. After depleting his father’s inheritance, that prodigal son knew he wasn’t worthy to go back to his father and ask for bread. Yet when he decided to go back anyway, to beg his father’s forgiveness, his father ran to him, filled with compassion and open arms. And then his father prepared a great feast for him, a great meal! Just like I had wanted to feed every seagull on the beach, God wants to feed all his children. When they get sick of eating pig food, and realize how hungry they are for nourishment, he will hear their cries.

“And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27)

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:10-13)

What am I saying? Can God’s mercy rob his justice? Of course not. The seagulls who didn’t wait for me did not receive the reward they could have had. They could have received it had they been like that first seagull, and kept waiting for me, enduring with patience.

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

Now just because I had a “bleeding heart” and wanted all the seagulls to be fed, that did not mean they should be fed. God’s definition of equal rights is not the same as today’s autonomous definitions.

“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.” (2 Corinthians 8:12-14)

The seagulls that had grown tired of waiting were forced to find food elsewhere, or else go without, for I had no more bread to give at that time. What they had sowed, they had also reaped.

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works” (Revelation 20:13)…“And whosoever will not come, the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him, according to his deeds.” (Alma 19:110)

It was only fair and just that the seagull who labored with patience for his reward should receive his reward first. The seagull that watched and waited for me was my “first fruit.”

“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18)

But unlike me who ran out of bread, God (the Living Bread) never runs out. The Father’s plan, through his Son Jesus Christ, is to feed all his creatures the truth, each in their own time.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)…“Now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise, it mattereth not: for all do not die at once: and this mattereth not; all is as one day, with God; and time only is measured unto men.” (Alma 19:38)

Someday God’s seeds will be consumed by all people: chewed, swallowed, and digested. It is what God’s love is all about.

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32)

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)

http://w.clipartdb.com/data/media/21/bird_clipart_nice_seagull_24.png

It has always fascinated me how God uses the temporal or earthly things to teach us about his spiritual or heavenly things. It’s marvelous to me how our Gardener uses the metaphor of seeds, wheat, tares, figs, fruit, and other such things to teach us about his words. Whenever we feast on him (his Word), his words are being planted into the soil of our hearts. Hopefully the soil is fertile (soft and teachable).

The more we eat of his words, the more his words nourish our bodies, hearts, and minds. Then, like the seagull who kept his eyes upon me, if we keep looking forward with an “eye of faith” and patience, God’s words will take root and grow up to be a living tree. And on that Tree of Life will grow the sweetest, and brightest, and purist of all fruits. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for the Word, for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).

“And ye shall feast upon this fruit, even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst. Then my brethren ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.” (Alma 16:169-173)

“And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." (Acts 13:52)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Why starve to death? Why face a just God in ignorance when we can be filled now, every day, with increasing knowledge of him? God has provided all these earthly metaphors for our benefit; to teach us, and to give us hope, and joy. We can ask the birds and they will tell us about our Creator. We can ask the animals and they will teach us about Jesus Christ. We can ask the fish and they will proclaim his glory. We can ask the earth, and the heavens above, and the hell beneath. God has made all these things to teach us about him (Job 12).

“The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves." (Psalm 93:3)

“Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains." (Isaiah 42:11)

“Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light." (Psalm 148:3)

“And, behold, all things have their likeness…all things are created and made to bear record of me” (Genesis 6, IV).

That day on the beach, my lesson of the seagulls was all about food. Like the seagulls, we all need bread to live.

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11).

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

Let’s eat!

Loaf Of Bread Clip Art http://w.clipartdb.com/data/media/21/bird_clipart_nice_seagull_24.png

From the sound track of Jonathan Livingston Seagull http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yllJU75Cg1I