So, please welcome Kimberly Long, my guest here today at The
Stream’s Edge. She is a sweet sister with a wonderful heart. I hope you enjoy her insights.
I opened the front door to our RV after showering, and as I was getting dressed, I heard a strange sound. It sounded like a dog—the size of a St. Bernard at least, lapping up something tasty. It sounded as though it was on my porch or even closer. I wondered what we had left out that he could be drinking from. I couldn't think of anything. It had not rained recently, leaving puddles, so I couldn't imagine.
I ventured to the door and slowly
peered around the front porch, fully expecting to be met with large puppy dog
eyes staring back. Instead, all I found were a bunch of grackles. They are
known for their loud raspy call. The Latin word, graculus means, "to
cough" which describes their intruding noise. I've seen more than one
person shoot up into a tree to send these loud varments on their way to another
domain. If you were deaf, you might wonder why anyone would have issues with
these beautiful blue-black, shiny-feathered creatures.
Isn't it funny how our perception
of something can seem so real? If you would have tried to convince me I was
hearing birds instead of a beast I would have stood my ground. I don't know
that I would have believed you without seeing it with my own eyes. Isn't this
true with other things we've discovered, as we grow older and wiser? We truly
believe what we perceive. But sometimes our perception is off. It may be our
perception of our self, or someone else has been distorted. There are times
I've come to know someone on a deeper level and found they weren't at all what
I thought at the beginning.
If we don't study God's word to
find out His perception of us, then we will carry a wrong perception. For
years, I believed I was weak or less because of my desire to spend a great deal
of time alone. I saw in my father the same tendency but to an extreme. It ended
up being a detriment to his well being, making it hard
for him to stay accountable to others to stay away from alcohol. But I knew I
had worked hard at keeping a balance of being around people and staying
accountable to other women. I finally realized that being a loner is okay and
not only okay but wonderful if this is the way God made me.
Those who are extroverts and lack
understanding of their opposites have made cutting remarks to me at times. I
finally learned to speak up and say out loud how I'm happy the way God made me
and I like myself like I am. I know people who make these statements simply
lack a whole perception and see life through the eyes of their understanding
alone. When we read and study books about other personalities, we are opening
up our understanding to go beyond a limited perception, which is beneficial to
all our relationships.
Do you think desert land with
cactus is attractive? It's certainly not my idea of beauty, but some think it
is. I can't spit at the feet of those who think so without offending, so I need
to be open in these areas as long as it doesn't compromise my convictions. I
love lush oasis settings full of trees and hills. So I guess I'll continue to
keep my RV right here—in the Texas Hill Country and put up with those little
black lapping dogs outside my front door. Maybe some people love the sound of
grackles? It's all in the eye or ear of the beholder!
Kimberly Long
Author, Speaker, Photographer
Know anyone who needs to get out from under a financial burden?
Kimberly's eBook, Financial Hope will build your faith for immediate results!
Building confidence and wholeness in women for victorious living!
Building confidence and wholeness in women for victorious living!
Kimberly
has served as a youth minister, worship leader, women’s minister, small group
pastor and Director at Christian Women’s Job Corps. But
her best training came from scrubbing the church toilets, changing other
children’s diapers and finding out she was not
called to sing by being allowed to lead worship services and sing a special.
She
has three grown children, all married and finally producing grand babies for
her!
Suggested resource this week...This is a wonderful book with insights into the 23rd Psalm:
