I know I have posted this before and maybe I did it already since we had to
put Zippy down but I was reading it again tonight and thought I would repost
it.

Phil.

The Hand Print Of God


By Phil Scovell






     He called and asked if I had any time to pray.  My appointment
had canceled for that evening so I said yes.  We set a time and he
came to my office.  We had prayed together before so it wasn't new to
him.

     As we talked, he explained how he had been very discouraged due
to recent surgery on his broken foot.  Financially, he seemed to be
having a hard time but his business was going well and improving week
by week.  In short, there was just a lot of discouragement going on in
his life.

     The first thing we started with was guilt.  As difficult as this
may seem for those who don't care that much for pets of any kind, this
man had recently watched his African Gray parrot die as he held her.
She had been swinging upside down from the top of her cage and
suddenly fell.  Instead of landing on her feet, she landed on her back
at the bottom of the tall cage.  She apparently broke her back because
she could no longer move her lower body and legs.  He and his wife had
carried the bird to his mother's home and she made several phone calls
trying to find an animal clinic that worked with birds.  It was well
after midnight so she made little progress.  Phone call after phone
call passed.  Finally one was found but it was some distance away.  As
they were driving to the animal clinic, his bird died in his hands.

     As I said, we started with guilt, as we prayed, because somehow,
and for some reason, he felt guilt associated with the death of his
pet.  His emotions were locked down tight.  It must have been, as we
prayed together, at least 30 minutes before he felt anything or said
anything.

     He suddenly said, "I'm see myself sitting up in my crib."  We
prayed around that and several minutes passed.  Nothing happened.
Eventually he said, "I see Jesus standing at my crib with his hand on
the crib."  We prayed more about this but nothing occurred.

     I finally prayed and ask the Lord if this memory was connected
with another memory.  The man almost immediately began crying and
said, "Jesus is helping me carry and bury my bird."  He had told me
that he and his wife had returned home, after the bird had died, and
he had dug a hole in their backyard and buried her there.  I felt
tears stinging the corners of my own eyes because I, to, own an
African Gray Parrot and I had become very attached to him.  they
become very unusual pets because of their long life of 50 to 80 years
and their intelligence which is about that of a four year old when
they are fully grown.  some African Gray Parrots have nearly reached a
vocabulary of a thousand words.

     Although the Lord took this man to other areas and healed them, I
am focusing on this area simply because it is unusual.  We often
forget how attached some people become to their pets.  They fill a
void that is often there and unknown until the pet is gone.

     Although this man cried when the Lord began healing him of the
sorrow and grief he felt, I don't want you to get the idea the man was
soft or weak.  He owned his own business at his current 24 years of
age.  He had his third degree black belt in Karate and had also been a
marshal arts instructor.  He had competed in dozens of Karate
tournaments and achieve multiple trophies.  He loved riding his
motorcycle and he and his wife were raising two adopted children at
the time this happened.  He was nearly 6 feet tall and weighed about
250 pounds.  He still cried when God touched his heart.

     After the prayer session, he told me something you might find
unusual.  He said, after Jesus helped him carry his little pet out to
be buried in the backyard, Jesus placed his hand over the little
grave.  It left the imprint of his hand in the dirt.  After our prayer
session, he went to the little bird's grave and although no finger
prints  could be seen, there was a definite imprint of a man's palm
over the small grave.

     I understood this man's feelings, as I said, but not just because
I, too, owned an African Gray Parrot.  I understood his feelings of
loss and grief and confusion because he is my youngest son.

     It is time we discover Jesus is truly the only one who cares.  If
you cannot feel this because of grief and sorrow you are facing, call
me.  Let Jesus show you how He cares more for all the birds on the
planet than anyone but He cares even more for you and especially when
you are sad.

Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not
fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your
head are all numbered.  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value
than many sparrows

He's ready when you are.
www.SafePlaceFellowship.com