Mitchell The Penguin

I saw on the news today a story about this penguin who swam the wrong way. He was supposed to swim to Antarctica I guess, but found himself in New Zealand. He is over 4,000 miles from home. The news people talked about how the penguin was eating sand thinking it was snow because it needed water. For now, no one is really doing much to the penguin, they say they are letting nature run its course, in other words, they aren’t interfering with it because it is in no apparent danger right now, but it needs to find its way home if it wants to survive.

I relate to this penguin. If there were ever an animal that could explain my condition, it’s this little guy. He finds himself washed up on a foreign shore because he missed a turn somewhere and now is completely lost. Somewhere on my path to finding who I am in Jesus, I took a wrong turn I guess, and am still trying to find my way home. The wonderful thing about our journey with Christ is that even when we make wrong turns we still have to keep moving forward. We must embrace our wrong turns, add them to our story, and move on. This penguin may or may not find its way home, back to his community, but more than likely he will. I don’t think God manipulates us when we screw up. The Bible says that when Adam and Eve sinned for the first time and realized they were naked, God eventually helped them make clothes. I think that is really neat because I assume God was pretty upset you know, but not too upset to take care of his kids.

Right now, no one is doing anything with the penguin. I assume a lot of people are coming out to see it because they say a penguin has never been to this area in New Zealand, but they have faith that it will find its way home.

I love this penguin, I want to name him Mitchell.

No matter what happens, God will use me. I may be somewhere where I’m not supposed to be right now, but God’s plan is still in effect. Just as it was with Adam, man screws up, but God’s plan actually becomes insanely beautiful through Jesus. Without sin, there is no need for Jesus, but because we sinned Jesus became the plan. Sin is not good, but with Jesus there is no such thing as going the wrong way. No note is off key, no rhythm off beat. God will use you no matter the circumstance. You’ll be stronger for it. Don’t get me wrong though, the ultimate goal is to stay on the right path and find Jesus in the end, but do not fear or be discouraged if you find yourself on a beach in New Zealand when you were aiming for Antarctica.

I hope Mitchell the penguin survives though, finds his way home to his friends and family, and as soon as he gets there starts by saying, “You’ll never believe what just happened to me…”