Thursday, November 11, 2010

Buzzard and Puke

My mom and dad always used to tell me, "Don't get in a puking contest with a buzzard, because you're never going to win." Great advice. Let me break it down for you. Buzzards eat dead things and that would naturally make them very good at puking because dead things are gross. Since "you" don't eat dead things, “you” don't puke as often as a buzzard; therefore, the buzzard is ALWAYS the better puker. Translation: people who act childish and do things that are childish have lots of practice doing those childish things. They will ALWAYS be better than you at childish things, so don't stoop down to their level and participate. Somehow I thought that advice was restricted to middle school/high school. You might even be able to apply it to a FEW incidents in college, but those are few and far between and too complicated to be limited to the basic meaning because the older you get, the more mature people (and you) are supposed to get. Right? Could this actually be good advice for me as an adult?


Every once in a while, I'm the person I should be. Every once in a while, I choose the right thing. Every once in a while, I choose not to try to beat the buzzard at his own game.


For all the other times that aren’t the “once in a whiles”, I pray for my choices to be learning experiences, so maybe sometime those “once in a whiles” will be “sometimes” and maybe some day, “most of the times”.


The funny things is, I am just now realizing that sometimes I am the challenger in the contest, and sometimes I am the buzzard. Or maybe I am just now admitting it.


Thankfully, I have a God that is “EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME.” He loves me, and He loves the buzzard, for he created both!


God, empty me of me so I can be filled with you. I don't want to be the buzzard, and I don't want to be "me" because neither one of those makes me "every time, all the time". I want and need YOU!


Empty Me by Chris Sligh

I've had just enough of the spotlight

When it burns bright

To see how it gets in the blood

And I've tasted my share

Of the sweet life

And the wild ride

And found a little is not quite enough


I know how i can stray

And how fast my heart could change


Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to

Lord empty me of me

So i can be

Filled with you


Ive seen just enough of the quick buys

Of the best lies

To know how prodigals can be drawn away


I know how I can stray

And how fast my heart could change

Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to

Lord empty me of me

So I can be

Filled with you


Cuz everything is a lesser thing

Compared to you

Compared to you

Cuz everything is a lesser thing

Compared to you

So I surrender all


Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride


Empty me

Of the selfishness inside

Every vain ambition

And the poison of my pride

And any foolish thing my heart holds to

Lord empty me of me

So I can be

Lord empty me of me

So I can be

Filled with you.

Filled with you

Empty me


3 comments:

Marlee said...

Love this. I was just telling a friend the other day about that phrase mom and dad used with us all the time...great saying. Thanks for the reflection.

gloria said...

I really like this. The one I remember most is "remember whose you are." And then there was always "don't act like hyenas."

Marlee said...

LOL. Hyenas was my favorite I think. Somehow the 'hyena' statement isn't quite in line with the 'buzzard/puke' and 'remembering'statements. Just sayin...