The Rat and Bird (embracing God’s creation) A story told by Timekeleni Banda (72 years old) (Phande village, Zambia)

There was a rat and a bird. As they were talking to each other, the bird asked the rat: “But you rat why do you walk with four legs? Look at me I have just two legs”. “But that’s how God created me to have four legs,” replied the rat. “Why don’t you come to my home so that I can cut the two legs?” asked the bird. “No I will stay like this, it’s not a problem,”replied the rat.

One day the two agreed to visit each other’s house. The rat invited the bird first to his house. When the bird reached his friend’s house, he found him just doing house chores. The bird  asked the rat: “Why are there faeces all over your house? “But that’s how I live. It does not disturb me.” “No! “That is not good.”  The bird argued no person would excrete in the middle of his house. There after the bird invite his friend to come to his house and see how clean it was. They agreed on a date when the rat could visit his friend.

The day came and the rat set off to his friend’s place. Upon arrival, he was surprised to see how the bird was living. “Ah ah, is this what you call a house?” asked the rat. “Yes, that’s how I was created to be sleeping in a nest”: he replied.

   .  .  .

The rat has given us a good lesson to be who God created us to be. In real life we twist ourselves up in knots trying to be something or someone else, trying to fulfill some endless list of qualities and capabilities that we think will make us feel loved or safe or happy. That’s somehow an exhausting way to live.

Recorded by author: 13.07.2016, Phande village, Zambia