Elvis the Egret Hits the Jackpot

I was watching a flock of egret fish for shad along the lake bank when I saw him. He wasn’t unique in appearance, same white feathers, same spindly legs, and beady eyes. It’s just that I happened to glance his way right about the time he hit the jackpot, struck pay-dirt if you will. While his buddies munched on two-inch shad, Elvis the Egret was holding in his beak the catch of the day, a respectable size fish that would’ve been a keeper by any fisherman’s scale.

Poor Elvis, there were immediate problems. He studied the situation even as he sought desperately to better his grip on the flapping fish. I could see right off that throwing it up and swallowing it the way his buddies were feeding on the shad wasn’t going to happen. I think Elvis sensed it, too. Moments later, he made one last valiant effort to re-position the prize in the tenuous grasp of his beak. Unfortunately for him, the fish saw his chance. With a well-timed twist, it wrenched free and swam off, leaving Elvis looking as dejected as I’ve ever seen an egret look. I imagine his hunger added insult to his damaged ego!

Elvis reminds me of the people who tell me that they just can’t read the Bible. It’s too big, they say, or too hard to understand. Somehow, I think they’re making the sort of mistake that ambitious egret did. If you’d like to get in the Word, don’t try to swallow a humongous passage. You’ll just end up struggling until you drop it in frustration. And what’s worse— you’ll still be hungry! Think about it this way. If Elvis would’ve dined on a shad or two he could’ve gotten his belly full and the nourishment would’ve made that much more capable of fishing again the next time.

Hugs, Shellie