Dear Theophilus Archive: Sept. 1999

I'm a Frog, Not a Bird

Little Frog awoke on his lily pad to see a great and beautiful bird soaring below the clouds. The bird appeared to be flying closer and closer to Little Frog's pond, each second revealing more and more of its brilliant colors and graceful movements. Little Frog felt that his heart would explode over the beauty of such a creature. "My, what freedom it is to be a bird. I wish I had wings as he to fly from this lily pad and this stagnant pond. God must be pleased with this creature. With such freedom he can praise God with his flight. I wish I were a bird." 

So Little Frog tried to lean back to support his weight on his hind legs, while he began to flap his forearms, hoping they would work like wings. But as his weight shifted to one side of the lily pad, the lily pad naturally sank into the water. Little Frog lost his balance and fell backwards into the pond. 

Frustrated and discouraged, Little Frog decided to visit Old Frog. Old Frog had the biggest and sturdiest lily pad in the pond. He was the wisest of all the frogs. "Old Frog," said Little Frog, "I'm sad about how God made me. I wish I were a bird, so I can be free and fly. With such freedom, the bird can praise God with his flight. God is not pleased with me. All I do is eat bugs and sit on my lily pad all day. I'm tired of this old stagnant pond." Old Frog chuckled and just sat in silence for several hours. Little Frog grew impatient. After a loud croak, Old Frog replied, "Swim, Little Frog, swim." Old Frog croaked again. Though confused, Little Frog, respecting his elders, decided to take up this advice. 

Little Frog hopped over to his favorite lily pad and looked down into the water. "Oh, I hate the smell of this pond, and the fuzzy green thing that grows on the bottom. I don't want to jump in and swim." As Little Frog stared dejectedly into the pond, he suddenly noticed another frog swimming gracefully under the surface of the water. As he watched the frog, a bird flew overhead. The water caught the reflection of the bird flying overhead, just over the swimming frog. "Flying bird, swimming frog," thought Little Frog to himself. 

Little Frog closed his eyes and jumped onto the reflection of the bird and into the water. As he moved his legs and arms he could feel the cool water replace the heat of the day on his skin. He stretched out his arms and legs as far as he could. Then pushing them back with one strong stroke, he thrusted forward towards the end of the pond. "Wow, what freedom! I'm a frog, and not a bird! God is pleased with my frog-ness. There is freedom in being a frog." Little Frog extended his legs and arms once more, allowing his body to glide through the water. Turning over, he allowed his body to sink backwards to the bottom of the pond, onto a rock. With peace in his heart, he thought to himself, "Praise the Lord with my croak. Praise the Lord with my hop. Praise the Lord with my swim. Praise the Lord." He could feel the soft, green fuzz that grew on the rock. The silence under the water, and the softness of the fuzz on his back put him to a sound sleep. 

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)