Beaten, battered and bruised but the song goes on - Mark 15:19 with the Max Lucado's story about the parakeet Chippie with an observation

SCRIPTURE: Mark 15:19
“Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and pit on him.”

STORY as told by Max Lucado:
Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.

The problems began when Chippie's owner decided to clean Chippie's cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She'd barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in.

The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive, but stunned.

Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.

Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.

A few days after the trauma, the reporter who'd initially written about the event contacted Chippie's owner to see how the bird was recovering. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn't sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."

It's hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . That's enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.

OBSERVATION:
Many times we are just like Chippie. We never knew what hit us, but somehow we have survived to live another day. To this old preacher that is the power of grace. The ability to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and continue to live. Our song might have changed a little because of the experience. We might not fully understand the full purpose behind the “dust-up” … but here we are. We have survived. We too shall conquer.

The key to it all is not to let it steal the song from our heart.

Following the example set for us by Jesus who was beaten, battered and bruised we too shall discover that hallelujah is our song because resurrection is in our future.

PRAYER:
Most Holy God, there seems to be a lot of people who wish nothing more our life than defeat. Help us realize that you bring the victory and the song continues through you. Amen.