The One-legged Grackle

“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.” Zig Ziglar



"I would not have noticed if I didn't keep looking." I said to myself afterward deep in thought.

There were on a few common grackles on the grass pecking away on the ground as I noticed them as I was seated in the car. They were all feverishly pecking through the turf eating up whatever they can find on on a small parcel of lawn.

My eye caught one of the birds for some reason. Maybe the uneveness of it's movements compared to the others; the hopping from spot to spot with it's head up versus walking with it's head down and beak in the grass like the others.

This grackle, it's blue-bronze feathers, shining and full as the other five or so, had only one leg.

Within seconds after watching the one-legged grackle work for it's food as hard or harder than the others a loud noise scared the volery of grackles and almonst in perfect sync they flapped their wings and flew eastward.

That one-legged grackle had to work harder than the others in his fleet. Where the others were covering the ground with their head constantly down, this one had to pull his head up for balance and hop from spot to spot.

Did that grackle know he was different or did he just know what he needed to do to survive, to be successful? Looking at them all, it appeared he was as healthy as the others in his little group.

Why do we as God-gifted beings look for excuses not to be successful? Why do we hang labels and feel we need to take care of those who may be a little less fortunate that the person next to him or her? Why has our society allowed people to not work hard and realize their full potential, which ultimately weakens them even further.

Don't mistaken me, there are people who can't care for themselves, and we should. My point is this - we are not equal in talent, ability, information, intelligence, and physical characterists. All of us must work hard at different levels to be successful. We can't give ourselves excuses or enable others to lose their vitaily, their force, because we've labeled them.

When those birds took off at the bang of that door, and when I watched the one-legged grackle flap and fly, he was no different than the rest. God gave those birds the gift to fly and soar, and that grackle, with that one-leg, flew as well as those in his volery.

We all have that power in us. We have been built to soar in our own ways and fly high. We shouldn't expect anything less from ourselves, our friends, or family. It's the effort we put into life that rewards us emotionally, knowing we gave it all.

No excuses!! Take a lesson from the one-legged grackle and work hard; work harder. Hop along, scratch it out!! You were built by God to fly, to soar. Don't think anything less. Now go!!