Considering Turkeys

I'm going to try these pictures from a different direction and see if they come through a little later. Sometimes the server can be slow. The photos of the turkeys were shot above Jericho camp last August in Sturgis, SD. Now here is the interesting things I've learned about turkeys(I lived about half a mile from a turkey farm when I was growing up). They are not very smart! They are not stupid either, they are simply turkeys and when encountered in their different habitats they react differently. When they are on the farm I could walk up to the fenced in enclosure and talk to them. They get curious and very soon they will all flock up to the fence to see what is going on. It's really quite amusing. One of my friends pointed out this week during a turkey discussion(we shoot them out here on the Great American Desert), that when in captivity they will all bend their necks and heads to watch an airplane go over, thus presenting the watcher with a view of hundreds of turkeys turning their heads sideways to look with one eye. I don't think they can use both eyes simultaneously to observe the same objects. In the wild they are quite impossible to approach. That's what makes hunting them so much fun, you don't actually "hunt," you find a spot and wait. Now a few months ago a gentleman from Minnesota brought out a family of turkeys to a 25 acre spread owned by mutual friends and turned them loose. They had been raised in captivity so they knew nothing about just being free to roam. Most often the little ones accompanied their mother everywhere she went and it was fun to watch them troop around the grounds. That is, until they began to diminish in number, one by one, until they were all gone. You see, without any practical skills for living in the wild they knew nothing of the danger present in the form of fox. This has been a landmark year for fox out here. Early mornings you can ride out about fifteen miles from the house and watch them playing in the sunshine on the fields that have been cleared by harvest machines. So it is with people, not the playing in the fields(although we do some of that as well)but the distinct difference between being raised in the "wild" and growing up in the more remote corners of our nation.
We're not turkeys, although that term has been used for a number of years to refer to folks in a derogatory manner. We do, though, bear some striking similarities that are very "turkey" like. Something is happening and we all gather to watch. We're fine in our own "backyard" but find it difficult to adapt to new surroundings. Raised in the city(the wild)we're much more difficult to approach. This is where I pick up the faith perspective for those who are just curious enough to see where this is leading. God created all of us in God's image. Therefore, the only thing that truly separates us is the conditions of our upbringing based on the variables found in our environment. If it is a "christian" environment of faith and a belief system founded on the principals set forth in God's Word, we can truly find others in whom we can place our trust. Mutually shared faith is the basis upon which we can live in peace and, presumably, safety based on our ability to take care of one another. Sounds like a model for living, doesn't it? It is! Thousands of years in the preparation, even more in the planning stages, and available for us today at no cost whatsoever! God's plan is perfect, and one that if followed leads not only to a good life, but to an eternal one as well! You don't need to take my word for it. Look around you and see for yourself the goodness that seems to fill the lives of some. You might even want to check where they are on Sunday mornings. God calls each of us to a life that is good, not all respond to that call. I pray you are listening for that call right now. I also pray that if you have already responded this helps to confirm your belief that you are on the right path. In Christ's Love, Preacher.