Like birds in a cage

A boy was walking happily across the street. In his hand he tightly held a small, rusty bird cage which contained three, tiny, frightened little birds. As they huddled together in fear, the boy shook the cage more and more as he walked. Halfway through the street a man stopped him and asked "what are you doing with those birds?" The boy answered "I'm going to have fun with them!" The man asked "what are you going to do to them?" "First I'm going to pull all their feathers off, then make them fight each other, and have all sorts of fun with them", replied the child. "Then what?" "Oh, that's easy - I've got some cats that would love them for dinner!" Rather horrified, the man asked "how much would you want for me to take those birds from you? $10?" "Well, ok..." said the boy. "But you really don't want those birds. They're only ugly little things, and really no good to you." The lad took the money, not understanding why the man wanted the ugly little creatures. The man lovingly found a nearby park with plenty of trees and bush, and set the birds free. Joyfully they escaped the cage that had them terrified for their lives, ever so grateful to the kind stranger who bought them to set them free........


.....Gleefully, Satan looked over the earth. "It's all mine now", he thought. "And boy am I going to have fun with them!" Jesus looked down in pity for the sorrowful creatures, captured in Satans cage. Inquiring, He asked "what are you going to do with them?" "Why," responded Satan, "I'm going to teach them to fight, and kill, I'll teach them to fornicate, and do everything evil I can invent." "Then what?", asked Jesus. "Why, that's easy - I'm going to kill them." With a tear in His eye, Jesus asked "How much would you want for Me to have them?" "Those sorry little creatures?" asked Satan. "What on earth would You want them for? They'll only hate You, mock You, and eventually kill You." "How much?", He again asked. "Well, if You really want them, You'll have to pay Your blood, tears, and life." "Done!", said Jesus. Satan laughed as He watched Jesus pay the promised price, thinking He'd won it all. But lovingly, Jesus paid the price, took us home, and set us free.

Are we as thankful as the little birds?