Recently, a bird gave me a revelation on how I should start living my life.
I was reading National Geographic November 2010 issue and I came upon an article on animal migration. A short paragraph about the Arctic tern caught my attention.
Photo: Not taken by author
The Arctic tern is about 33cm - 39cm in length. It has a wingspan of 76cm - 85cm and weighs about 86g - 176g. It has a pair of small webbed feet. Its very light weight and large wings make them excellent long distance fliers.
The Arctic tern has the longest regular migration by any known animals. Each year, they fly from their breeding ground in the Arctic to Antartica in August to avoid the harsh winters and back to Arctic in May for breeding. They can clock about 35,000km of flying each year.
In the article, the writer mentions that the Arctic tern's long endurance in flying is propelled by the sense of a larger purpose which most humans lack. The terns develop a "just-gonna-get-there" attitude. They know that they can eat later, they can mate later, right now, the journey to their destination has their undivided attention.
What is the tern's larger purpose? I would like to believe that it is their God-given purpose to survive and multiply.
From the beginning, God's has given these birds a purpose.
Genesis 1:20-22 (20)And God said: "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." (21)So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (22)God blessed them and said: "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."
So what is Human's purpose on this Earth?
Genesis 1:27-28 (27)So God created Man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (28)God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
In the beginning, God made us to have dominion over the creatures. Just like the Arctic tern is designed to be excellent long distance fliers, you and I are destined to excel in life.
If the Arctic tern can have the "just-gonna-get-there" attitude, shouldn't we have it too? Afterall, in scientific terms, homo sapiens are considered higher ordered animals and are supposed to have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection and problem-solving.
If an Arctic tern can have the faith that as long as they believe and put their beliefs into action, they will eventually get there, why can't we?
All the more we should have faith that our highly developed brain can get us through the obstacles in life.
James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
The Polish-French chemist, Marie Curie once said, "Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."
Let's have perseverance and a never-say-die attitude. We will get there eventually.
