Max Lucado, in his book In the Eye of the Storm, tells the story of Chippie the Parakeet. He writes:
Chippie the Parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, blown over.
The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She’d barely said ‘hello’ when ‘sssopp!’ Chippie got sucked in.
The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie—still alive, but stunned.
Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.
Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. “Well,” she replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore—he just sits and stares.”
It’s hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . that’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.
I suspect that all of us here have felt like Chippie at one time or another. Our dreams have been dashed, our spirits have been shattered, and our world has been turned upside down. And just like Chippie, we never saw it coming. One minute we were just singing away, and the next we had been blown over by one of life’s many storms. In spite of all our pious platitudes, the plain truth is this: life can be very, very difficult at times. And sometimes it can be more than we can bear alone.
papajack posted on Mar 29, 2008
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Comments
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gingersoul said on Mar 29, 2008....
Papa....now i know why i hate vacuuming....
My very old one broke just last week and i had to buy a new one..
Lets hope it will help me to suck up all the bad in my life.
I truly hope so. The vacuum fixer shop is so damned far from my home....:-)
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Mamie said on Mar 29, 2008....
isn't that just the truth? Thanks for sharing that PJ...Mamie -
gingersoul said on Mar 29, 2008....
Hello girl....how are you?...
*ginger does a happy dance for mamie*....
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Lucytorial said on Mar 29, 2008....
This made me smile, its so true poor chippie, lets hope he gets his groove back again.
You know we just keep going because going back is even scarier! that what lies ahead.
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andora said on Mar 30, 2008....
aloha papajack, I really appreciate your warm and kind manner and this story made me laugh...glad chirpie wasn't dead
on a serious note, I feel that the nation is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder just like chirpie
I see that vacant stare in oh so many people and I feel sad for them that they do not have the privileges that I have...not to say that I, myself, am not a survivor, but I have had great success in changing the traumatic story of my past into a fairytale...I try to share this with others as you know, but I have grown caustic with the frustration of understanding that people are so invested in victim-hood they are not sure how to break the bonds - or if there really is anything other than that for them. sad
aloha papajack
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crybabylu said on Mar 30, 2008....
That was a wonderful story, hon. Did you include it in your sermon? -
papajack said on Mar 30, 2008....
I sure did, sweetie, and everyone is probably still chuckling over poor lil chippie!
gingersoul......I sure hope that too. You have had way to much for one person to have to deal with. Maybe the better a person is, the more she has to handle, you think?
Maimie......Thank you for reading and commenting, and it is always my pleasure.
Lucy.....That sure is the truth, it is harder going back.
Andora.....I know what you mean, I see it everywhere...."hollow eyes almost".
Thank y'all very kindly for popping in and I am glad you liked my story.