Linda loved her little Canary! He was a bright yellow, little bird with a wonderful personality. He loved to sing. All the more when Linda walked into the room. She called him "Pete" after an opera singer, Peter Merchant. Linda would wake up in the morning and hear "Pretty Pete" singing away as the rising sun began to burst on the horizon. Pretty Pete would sing her off to work and sing home again. She could always count on a song the moment she opened the door. No matter how she felt Pretty Pete's song would cheer her up and gave her a fresh start on the day!

One day Linda was vacuuming the floor of her little bird's cage. "Pretty Pete" sat on his perch, his little head cocked to one side, a sparkle in his eye, watching his Linda work with the vacuum cleaner. Just then the telephone rang and Linda reached over to pick up the phone. As she bent over to pick up the phone the tip of the vacuum cleaner was raised up toward "Pretty Pete." The next thing she knew she heard a "whoosh" and an awful squawk.

Linda screamed , threw down the phone and turned off the vacuum as fast as she could. She quickly opened the vacuum and tore open the bag. There lay "Pretty Pete" amidst the dirt, the dust and the lint. She picked him up and ran to the sink. She held him and washed him off with warm water. She carefully dried "Pretty Pete" and put him back in his cage.

A little later, a friend came over and saw "Pretty Pete" sitting in his cage. She asked how he was doing after his run in with the vacuum.

Linda said, "Well, he is okay but he doesn't sing much anymore. He just sits there on his perch with a blank look in his eye and stares off into space."

There Are "Whoosh" Times In All Our Lives..

You see that's the way it is with life. Sometimes, everything is going like it has for a thousand other days and then whoosh. You find yourself going through the wringer. Your whole world is turned upside down. The joy that use to fill your life is gone. When you want to sing you just can find the words. You find yourself just sitting there staring off into nothingness, wondering what really happened.

Ever Been There?

You ever feel like that? Have you ever felt like you would never feel the joy of life again.. like you would never sing again? Have you lost the joy and the excitement of life? Do you find yourself just staring off into space just hoping to survive another day? It doesn't have to be that way!

There is a God who cares. He is looking for those who have gone through life's "whoosh" experiences. He searches the dirt piles of life for the hurting, the broken and the ones who given up. He looks for the songless! He wants to put a new song in your heart. David said it this way, in Psalm 40:3, talking about his relationship with God, "He (God) has put a new song in my mouth.." He found me in the dirt heap and lifted me up. He put a new heart and a new spirit in me (Psalm 51:10) and now I can sing again. David knew of what he spoke. He lost it all. He failed God but then the merciful Lord of all creation lifted him up again.

Listen to me, that is exactly what God wants to do for you. Jesus came into this world to make a way for those who failed to be restored. He died on the cross so that the Holy Spirit could search us out and return us to our exalted position as children of God. God is reaching out to you right now. He says come to me and I will put a new song in you heart. Do you want to sing again?

Let's Pray together. "Father, I ask you to help the troubled, the broken hearted, the down cast. Reach down to them right now and touch their hearts. Speak to them and let them know that you care. Help them to ask for You to show them Your precious love.. touch their broken places and make them whole. Do it now, Lord. You lift them up and put a new joy in their life and a new song in their heart. We asked it in Jesus' name.

Now.. let the Lord continue His good work!