The A to Z of Me: Letter "A"

A: If I were an animal, what would I be?

     Is this really a hard question?  In my brain, it's pretty clear cut.  I wouldn't be a dog or a dolphin or a giraffe or a cute panda bear.  I would be an ostrich!  Humor me for a minute and click HERE to read a little background on my strange fascination with ostriches.
     Most people detest ostriches.  In fact, when I say the ostrich is my favorite animal, I get a wrinkled up nose and a disgusted, "why?"  Despite their shabby appearance and strange features, ostriches have always appealed to me.

Like I said...not exactly the best looking
animal out there.

     They love to run.  I don't mean that in the shallow "I love things that run because I'm a runner" kind of way.  I mean to say that there is an utter freedom that God created in running.  When a being uses their arms and legs to speed across distance, it is a liberating thing-- perhaps when you're not in shape and feeling well...but that's for another blog post.  Ostriches love to just let loose and run.  In my sport and in my life, I seek to live by that same principle.  I want to be free in Christ to let loose and just go.  No worry, no care, no anxiety, only trust.
     All of my life, I've struggled with two main things: Perfectionism and caring too much about what others think of me.  The ostrich does not exhibit those characteristics, and that's why I admire it so much.  As a Christian, I want to be an ostrich.  I might not be the best looking Christian-- physically or maturity wise-- or the most desired by the world, but just like the ostrich: I want to be carefree and liberated for Christ.

   

In case you didn't know.  Ostriches also make an appearance in the book of Job:

13“The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,

but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.

14She lays her eggs on the ground

and lets them warm in the sand,

15unmindful that a foot may crush them,

that some wild animal may trample them.

16She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers;

she cares not that her labor was in vain,

17for God did not endow her with wisdom

or give her a share of good sense.

18Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,

she laughs at horse and rider.


     Now, besides all this: I also think it would be fun to live somewhere really hot and get to just run and play all day like ostriches do.  Those reasons are little less "spiritual," but definitely worth considering.  So before you right the ostrich off, why don't you go see how many times dolphins are mentioned in the Bible :)  My animal might just be more Biblical than yours is.


DISCLAIMER: This is meant to be a joke people: I'm not an expert in ranking the holiness of animals, if there is such a thing.  Don't send me hate mail if you love dolphins, I'm sure they are decent animals to be.)