From Pity to Praise

There is a perfect analogy I listened to the other day that speaks volumes by John Hope Bryant that I want to share with you.

There are three types of people, like three types of birds. There are eagles; there are buzzards; and there are turkeys.

1. Eagles:

Eagles don’t fly in packs. You have never seen a flock of eagles.

Eagles are high altitude birds, but they are not arrogant or pumped up. They are not full of themselves. They don’t have to be. They are who they are.

In human terms, they are reasonably comfortable in their own sky. There is power in that alone.

Eagles raise their children differently.

An eagles nest is made of sharp little twigs. The message is if you get big enough, where you start bumping up against the inside of those twigs… it’s time for you to go out and get a job. You cannot be 45 years old, and living with your mother.

Eagle parents literally push and prod their little ones to get out of the nest, and to learn how to fly on their own. They recognize that they cannot protect them for the rest of their lives. They have got to grow up.

An eagle is not afraid to take the road less traveled.

An eagle lives with a certain level of intentionality. A what I’m for kind of bird.

2. Buzzards

Buzzards are a completely different sort of bird. Buzzards love packs. Buzzards are low altitude birds.

Buzzards are always stepping on your head, to elevate themselves.

Buzzards are always player-hating, and never player-congratulating. They always have something negative to say about somebody.

But John says he can find respect for people like buzzards, because at least they are consistent with who they think they are. They really believe that this is who they really are -Bottom feeders.

They are not playing a game with others and he can respect that, even if they are not his cup of tea.

But there is anether sort of bird, which is actually worse.

3. Turkeys

Turkeys are the worse kind of people. Because a turkey is actually trying to be something they are not.

A turkey has wings, and they can’t even fry. They fly in short bursts, rather than long distant travel.

If we’re going to be leaders we have to deal with these difficult consistencies, both positively and effectively. We must learn to step over the mess and not in it.

At the same time we need to give live, grace, and even forgiveness, even when getting absolutely nothing in return.

No one wakes up in the morning and just says, “I want to create a wonderful life or business. It requires that we become purposeful. And become rainbows, after storms.

We need to learn to successfully manage pain. Because in that pain is where we create ourselves.

We need to be able to say with absolute confidence and inner comfort. “I would rather someone respect me and learn from me, than to like me, and never respect me.”

The Bible describes the spiritual realm, as an invisible, eternal reality that exists alongside our physical world. It is populated by God, angels, and demonic forces, and directly influences human lives. Humanity is seen as a bridge between the physical and spiritual.

The spiritual realm is the ultimate reality. 2 Corinthians 4:18 tells us, “While we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

I believe the hidden realm is getting easier to see the difference of spiritual and the physical with everything going on in our world today.

The spiritual realm is populated by spiritual beings. The Bible frequently speaks of God’s dwelling place and invisible entities. This includes holy angels as ministering spirits. Hebrews 1-14 says, “Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” And as well as Satan and demons. Ephesians 6:13 says, “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” There is a spiritual conflict described as engaging in spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 notes that a believer’s struggle is not against man but against spiritual forces of evil.

Understanding the importance of the hidden realm and how it affects what is going on around us makes things a little clearer.

Yet so many focus on how they spend their day, or their to-do lists, and all the things we do, with no thought for what is going on in the hidden realm. They focus on things that will waste away rather than the eternal.

I was listening to a podcast the other day where the teacher said something that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

His analogy was the earthly realm serves as the preparation space -the bridal chamber for a divine union in the heavenly realm – the wedding). This a deeply mystical concept rooted in the early church.

In ancient texts like the Gospel of Philip, this imagery suggests that earthly life is a place where our souls are purified and intend with divine wisdom. Just as a bridal chamber is a place of preparation and intimacy, earthly existence is viewed as the necessary space to prepare our inner selves.

The ultimate “wedding” is our souls resurrection and final, eternal communion with the divine in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the Gospel of Philip, the “bridal chamber” is the highest sacramental mystery. It symbolizes the spiritual reunion of the soul with its heavenly counterpart, overcoming the separation caused by duality and granting the initiate eternal light and immortality.

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time, it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it will linger, wait for it, it will certainly come and will not be delayed” -Habakkuk 2:3

With God a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day. God is not slow in keeping His promises as some understand slowness ( 2 Peter 3:8-9).

Waiting on God’s timing is often described as a “passive pause,” but as an active season of spiritual growth.

This means relinquishing control and trusting that God is preparing us for circumstances for our ultimate benefit.

While our wait can be difficult, we can find it to be an invitation to lean into our faith. We can be in active preparation. Rather than just marking time, the waiting period can be a time for personal refinement. A period to deepen our faith, develop character, and align our goals with what is truly meant for us.

We can learn to let go of any anxiety. And trust the divine timing that involves surrendering the need to know the future or force outcomes. By doing this, we can experience peace even when life feels delayed.

We can find encouragement in Scripture and draw strength from verses like Psalm 27:4 which encourages waiting with courage and patience. And Isaiah 40:31 which offers comfort by shifting our perspective of waiting from passive delay to active, hopeful anticipation. This verse promises that when we rely on God instead of our own limits, He supernaturally renews our strength, giving us the endurance to handle daily challenges without growing spiritually weary.

Isaiah 41:31 tells us, “But those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength. They will Mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not faint.”

This verse represents receiving a fresh perspective. Like an eagle catching an updraft to soar above the storm, waiting on God’s lifts who lifts us above our immediate circumstances.

After all we are waiting on an all knowing, all powerful Creator who never grows tired.

People aren’t grateful because they are happy because they are grateful

The filter by which we perceive what happens to us dramatically impacts how we view our lives, our ability to handle challenges, and our overall experience of happiness.

Well, feeling grateful for a wonderful thing to experience, those who truly understand the power of gratitude know that gratitude is not just a feeling; it’s an important practice that can totally guide and transform our lives.

There are three ways I practice gratitude on a daily basis that have a profound impact in my life and the lives of others.

• Say, thank you – we all have busy schedules, so it’s up to us to invest in being present in our daily lives. Think of all the times we are out and about, and how we see many people on our errands, none of them being people we really connected with.

It’s easy in the grocery store checkout line to say a half-hearted thank-you to the cashier. They may be saying the same words to move the line along.

But would, if the next time, we pause, make eye contact, and smile at the person, and say thank you directly to the person who is serving you. Not only will you most likely see them light up as you consciously share your gratitude, but the feeling will let you receive from the practice and energize you as well.

• Be grateful for the good and the bad

Being in a state of gratitude isn’t always easy. But when we consider that everything that happens in our lives is present for our learning, and growth. When we look at things this way, we can begin to see that there is an opportunity to be grateful for everything. When we go through a difficult situation we should ask, “what does this situation want to teach me?”

For example, remember a situation where you experienced pain or struggle; if you look back on it and see how it made you stronger and became a better version of having lived through it.

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” God often does His best work in the middle of our weaknesses.

• Practice the gratitude sandwich. Gratitude is not just a feeling, it’s a practice. It’s something we can consciously work on every day to maintain our inner sense of well being and intentionally attract positive things into our lives.

The gratitude sandwich works like this:

First thing in the morning, identify at least 5 things you are grateful for. Don’t just think about them; actually feel the feeling of gratitude wash over you. This sets your brain, first thing in the morning, to recognize things to be grateful for throughout the day.

Then in the evening, write at least 5 things you experienced that day for which you are grateful for. It can be something as finding a parking place without having to drive through the parking spot three times.

Gratitude is a daily choice. It’s doesn’t just happen. It’s a decision we make every day.