Flamingo Faith

On a beach trip this summer, I saw large flamingo floats everywhere. I suppose it just happened to be their year, but I joked with my daughter every time I saw one, that I wanted one to take home with me and that perhaps we could strap it to the roof of our car.

I was just kidding, but I have always liked flamingos. Their pink color and the way they stand and bend their legs, and even they their beaks, have always been a tangible picture for me, of God’s creativity.

But, I recently learned something about them that I found fascinating; their vibrant color comes from their diet. At birth, they are gray. When they are malnourished they are white or pale. But, when they eat their normal diet of shrimp and algae, they are vibrant.

God set them up this way.

That little factoid made me think about how human beings are set up in a similar fashion. While we all know that our health and well being is a product of our physical diet and what physical malnourishment looks like, do we ever give much thought to our spiritual vibrance or what spiritual malnourishment looks like?

We’ve all met those people who almost glow with the light of Christ. There are those people who are rarely shaken by the curve balls that life tends to throw. They seem to always be at peace and when our own lives hit a rough patch, those are the people who we find ourselves seeking out with prayer requests.

They are a kind of spiritual flamingo. But, where does their vibrance come from?

It comes from a steady diet of prayer and spending time reading the Bible. Every time I have ever met a spiritual flamingo, it’s the same story. Their faith is very strong and it got that way through years of Bible study and prayer.

They become a beacon to those who seek to know God as well as those who seek a closer walk with Him. They become a comfort to those who seek them out for prayer.

I know some spiritual flamingos who are at the top of my list when I’m struggling. I’l bet you do too.

The flamingos I see in nature, inspire me to ask myself whether my spiritual being is malnourished or vibrant. Am I reflecting a dull gray or pale image to this dark world or am I flashing neon pink?

I’m going for the pink. What about you?

Have an awesome day!