There is this pigeon that resides four houses down, to the left of us, near the tree in the side yard. He's not a boastful pigeon. And, to be honest, I am taking great liberties in even calling him a "he". Who knows what lies beneath those feathers? But, he is a beautiful pigeon. While I wouldn't go so far as to call him a strutter, he is definitely one who likes to "step out", which he does for the better part of each day. I doubt that there is anyone within our neighborhood who has not taken notice of this unique, little guy. He stands out, but he doesn't flaunt. And, he makes you smile, whether you like pigeons, or not. I keep thinking that he had to have once resided with one of those pigeon fanatics. Fed with the best bird seed...pampered in a lovingly built chicken wire cage. I keep thinking, "This guy won't stay around forever. Eventually he'll remember where he really belongs." But, every morning, there he is, walking with that pitter-patter pigeon gait in his oh, so familiar spot. Making our little gravel landscaped street a little more beautiful…a little bit better.
The most remarkable thing about our local pigeon?
He is stark white.
What I admire most about him?
As a pigeon, he is nothing spectacular. He still does his pigeon things. The sidewalk beneath him is not any cleaner than you would think it would be. Some may even say that his pure-white coloring comes from a defect of sorts. Or, that his coloring is not unique at all, only out-of-place. But he, in his own small way, makes my pocket-sized world, better.
I have been thinking the past two days about one thing…
Is the world better because I am in it?
Do I help or do I hinder? When there is gossip to spread, am I the one who gives it "lift-off", or the one who changes hearts? When judgements could so easily be made, does my focus lie in them, or in my ability to love, extend, cheer, or revive? Do I add?
Do I add?
On a scale, where do I lie? Each time I complain, gossip, judge, succumb, interfere, frustrate or dishearten, my scale is tipped. Crazy thing is? In order to get the scale back to it's level state, I don't need to add a ton of actions to compensate for my cynism and criticism, I only need to just remove those actions which prevent me from being steady, serene and true. Those actions which prevent me from making the world better.
In the Bible, Hannah is rejoicing after the blessed birth of her first son, Samuel, a true gift from God, and a boy whom she whole-heartedly gives back to God in service. In her prayer of thanksgiving she praises the exalted Lord, and then she says, "Talk no more exceedingly proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him our actions are weighed."
We have no right to strut. When we do, our scales are tipped too low. We have no right to judge. Each time that we do, we hinder.
All of us are pigeons. One of many.
Moses stated, "I know that man is nothing, which thing I had never supposed." But he also knew, as professed by Elder Uchtdorf, that "we are everything to God."
Through the embrace of a loving Heavenly Father, do we sincerely make the world better, or do we forget Him and consistently hold it back?
Is it really just that easy, to "add"?
It is.
