Northern Rough-Winged Swallows
Photographed at Little Ocmulgee State Park in Helena, Georgia
Article and Photography by Norma Beaird
Happy July 4th! In many parts of the United States, today is a celebration of freedom, a celebration of flags, food and fireworks! People everywhere will enjoy barbecue chicken and steaks on the grill. Children will play in the backyard and adults will enjoy relaxing on their deck or front porch. In some towns, there will be parades, festivals and concerts. In other places, families will enjoy their yearly vacation in the mountains, at a campground or the beach.
Physical celebrations are great, but spiritual celebrations are life-changing.
Even though the flag is our symbol of freedom, true freedom comes from Jesus Christ. Winning a battle or a war may give a country freedom from the bondage of an oppressive government. Jesus fought our spiritual battle by giving His life on the cross of Calvary. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ensures that we can have freedom from sin and the bondage of spiritual oppression. Salvation is a gift of living water in the desert of despair. Ultimately, salvation gives us eternal life.
The Bible says in John 8:36:
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
When we photograph birds, we are constantly reminded of the love of God and the freedom that He has given to us. As God gave birds the wings to fly, the Lord has given us spiritual wings through His work on the cross. If we will repent of our sins and confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we can spiritually spread our wings and fly away from the burden of heaviness that so easily weights us down. When Jesus gives us freedom, our lives become more productive and our hearts more receptive.
Spiritual chaos is traded for heavenly peace.
When a person becomes a Christian, they will find that every day is a spiritual journey. Each day is a blessing from God. Every day, we have the opportunity to shine a light into a world of darkness.
We must fill our heart and mind with the inspiration of the Word of God. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. When we become followers of Jesus Christ, each day we must work on our spiritual building. We must seek to grow and learn. We must seek to love and edify others through our relationship with Jesus.
As this BlueGrass Gospel song says, we're working on a building.......
Featuring The Maharreys singing and playing "Working on a Building"!
Copyright 2014, Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
