A TURKEY STORY

Some truths are universal, understood from the least to the greatest: “If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and squirts like squeezable mayo, then it ain’t no turkey that you’re dealing with.” This leads to a lesser known equation, “That which is turkey can never equal a duck.” Not that one or two haven’t tried.

And failed miserably.

We once had ducks who thought it no greater pleasure than to leave their quacks behind at the lake to deposit their gifts of fowl fertilizer in our car port. Somewhere along the way a disturbed turkey decided he would take up residence with these demonstrative quackers. Everywhere the ducks went, he was sure to be. Just one of the boys. This was all well and good until that fateful night when Mr. Coyote, the connoisseur of duck delight, decided to drop in for a late snack. One duck, two ducks, three ducks in the water, and one drowned turkey made for a hungry coyute— quite disgusted and vowing to take his tail elsewhere.

I wonder as the turkey wandered off into the depths of the lake did he finally realize, “These web design shoes that I have on does not seem to be working like the ad.... ”

It is one thing for a turkey to try and imitate a duck, do so and he may end up in a watery grave. It is an altogether different thing for man to try and duplicate that which is good. Ultimately this is impossible and to cling to any hope of doing so could lead you to a fiery lake of unending despair: You could sooner make a straw man in the middle of the sun.

We must understand that Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. Nowhere in the New Testament will you find the scriptures imploring man to follow Jesus as our example. That is more in line with the Old Testament which teaches: "Here is what you must do to be righteous. Live in the exact manner that God Himself would were He in your shoes, and all in your own strength!"

"Yeah right. Only Jesus can do that."

Exactly.

What you will find in the New Testament is the light of God revealing Jesus as our life: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4).

Big difference.

With the one, you’re just another turkey trying to be a duck; with the other, there is a fountain of life ceaselessly flowing in the righteousness, peace, love, faith, and joy that is Christ’s and his alone—that which he promised to be in us, to us, through us.

Will we ever realize that to be a Christian is to enter into the realm where he becomes everything, in reality, which is way past theory? When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost he was not trying to imitate Jesus; Jesus was emanating from him.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Ask the Holy Ghost to reveal Jesus as your very life—that is what it means to follow him.