talk

The story is told of a woman who bought a parrot to keep her company, but she returned it the next day. "This bird doesn't talk," she told the owner.

"Does he have a mirror in his cage?" he asked. "Parrots love mirrors. They see their reflection and start a conversation." The woman bought a mirror and left.

The next day she returned; the bird still wasn't talking. "How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders. A happy parrot is a talkative parrot." The woman bought a ladder and left.

But the next day, she was back. "Does your parrot have a swing? No? Well, that's the problem. Once he starts swinging, he'll talk up a storm." The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.

When she walked into the store the next day, her countenance had changed. "The parrot died," she said. The pet store owner was shocked.

"I'm so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say anything?" he asked.

"Yes, right before he died," the woman replied. "In a weak voice, he asked me, 'Don't they sell any food at that pet store?' "

Sometimes we forget what's really important in life. We get so caught up in things that are good while neglecting the things that are truly necessary. We've got to provide the family with a nice house. And of course, we've got to have at least two cars. And to make everybody truly happy, we need the latest computer. But, if we're not careful, we'll make the mistake of thinking those (and many other such "things") are the things that bring us satisfaction and meaning.

Jesus said, "The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you." (Matthew 6:33, NCV)

Jesus didn't say you shouldn't want those other things, but this is what you should want "most".

Take a moment to do a "priority check", and strive for what is *most* important today. Don't wait for the parrot to die!