Trapped In A Situation?

I heard a distant meowing noise and a fluttering sound, like a bird flapping its wings quickly together. But then, my eyes opened and I realized it was a dream. Yet, I still heard cats chatting and wings flapping furiously, as if trying to fly away from danger. I sat up in bed and listened intently to see if I was hearing things. I was not. There are no birds in our house and wondered if one of our kids was pretending to be a bird. 

Struggling to walk into the family room where the noise was as I was still waking up, I watched the bird fly from window to window. This bird was a sparrow that was in a bit of a panic. It kept on flying around our family room, trying desperately to find a means of escape.  Our cats were licking their lips, anticipating when their prey would become a delectable meal. 

I looked around our comfortable family room, trying to think of a way for the bird to leave.   Then a thought came to me: use a broom. 

So, off I went to help the bird to gain freedom once again. Birds tend to be nervous creatures and they do have a reason to be nervous: they do not want to be eaten.  I was reaching out to the bird on the broom, hoping that it would understand and hop onto it. Unfortunately, it would fly from it, several times, as if it feared the broom more than its freedom.  It just kept on flying to the windows, the upper part of them since they were tall, in part to stay away from the cats. 

I was getting frustrated at this point, questioning the bird why it would not use the broom to gain its freedom. Why was it so afraid when freedom was so close? Just one more time, I thought to myself. As I was placing the broom for the umpteenth time by the bird to help him out to the front door, he flew out, either with a sense of trust or a sense of desperation, with the help of the broom.  The cats were a bit disappointed, but I was glad for the little bird to have his freedom again.  I thought about this situation sometime later that day as I was going over things that had happened. 

The bird was very frightened as it saw itself trapped in our house.  I was trying to help it leave its entrapment.  But, how often do WE feel like this? Sometimes we might feel trapped in our situation and cannot seem to find a way out.  Or perhaps we just want to stay in that scenario, feeling safe and comfortable to be in it, despite potential danger we may face.  Even though the bird did not feel safe, it could not find a way out without help.  The broom, as a "catalyst," was able to help the bird to find its way back outside. The only problem was the bird was afraid of the broom, afraid of change and especially afraid to be a meal.  

A catalyst is an event or a person causing a change. The broom is what the bird needed for a change, to set it free from the trap it was ensnared in. 

There are times in our lives that we may need a catalyst, a change, to help us with a situation.  God might bring in reinforcements to help, such as a friend with much-needed advice, a mentor to coach you for that extra boost we might need to move us on, a family member that shows concern for you. I understand as I have been there too. But, change is not easy. Change means to leave our comfortable, familiar place and dare to do something different, something strange, or even go with our legs kicking, clinging with our fingernails to the comfortable, not wanting this change. Do you think that is God’s best for you? 

I think God has a better way even if you may not agree. Sometimes He may bring something into your life to get you going, to help you to see the light. When God works in your lives, it is for your good and His intentions are perfect and wonderful.  As Jeremiah 29:11 says,  

"For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV) 

Really meditate on that verse. How can you apply it to your life today? The next time you are feeling trapped or unhappy in a situation, ask God to show you what to do, whether it is for a catalyst to come into your life or something else, and wait for His response. You might be amazed what he can do when He frees you and what you will do for Him!