On the day in question, I came home to find this scene: The window in the utility room was open about 8 inches or so. One of my million bird friends (outside) was "trapped" between the window and the screen. One of my cats (inside) was on the screen - literally hanging on the screen trying to get that bird.
The bird was so horrified by the closeness of his mortal enemy and his impending doom, and was going *so* nuts with stress, that he didn't realize that he wasn't trapped at all. There was plenty of room to fly out of the window space, but he couldn't see that for his fear. He also didn't realize that although that cat was an inch away, it couldn't get at him through the screen.
Of course, being an animal lover, I raced to the rescue, grabbed the cat off the screen and cranked the window wide, so the bird could fly away. But then, the metaphor of this scene hit me so hard, I had to actually sit down to think about it.
A microcosm of life had just played out before my eyes. How often do we get so blinded by perceived threat that we feel sure to be "eaten" any minute by our worst bug-a-boos. We are trapped in a "cage" of our fears that actually has an open door, but we are unable to realize it.
So, I wish for you, that the next time you find yourself in that cage, you remember this story and realize that you *can* actually fly away, and that “cat” can't get you.
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