My Word

KEEPING THE SECRET

SECRETS ARE SECURE WITH THE GIBBY BOYS

Long before Bill would stand guard over German prisoners of war with a loaded carbine and long before Wayne would wear a MP band on his arm and an Army 45 on his side, while serving in Japan, Bill and Wayne were just farm boys along with their little brother.

There was not much excitement down on the farm in rural Clay county in the early '40s. A black cow, breaking through the fence, that we would chase for an hour or two before getting her back in, or the raising of a new farm building, was the extent of our excitement. We were fully aware of the war that was going on with Japan and Germany and heard of local boys who were called up to serve. Another unusual occurrence that brought the war to our attention was the constant flying over of bombers, fighter planes and troop carriers and troop gliders planes and being pulled by planes. We at times would lean on our hoe handles and count them to be a hundred are more. Where were they going? Always flying south and never returning north. We learned later that most were going to bases in Florida.

But one day some excitement did come to this quiet farm on the gravel road going to Fires Creek. Our eyes were to see something that we had never seen before. We just happened to be outside, oh well, that wasn't unusual, we were always outside, but on this particular day we saw a carrier pigeon strutting around our yard picking up some food to renew its strength so it could fly on to its destination,

We readily noticed that this pigeon was wearing a band on one leg. This raised our ire. What was his secret? Was it some secret message about war tactics, a message for only certain people or could this be only a practice run for the pigeon? However we wanted to know, being a little naive about the seriousness of such messages carried by a government bird. Bill said, “Lets catch it.” We did know that in all probability there was something secret in that little band. Our solution, of wanting to know, was to catch the pigeon, remove the band, read it, put it back on and send it on its way

No secrets are hidden from God. Eze 28:3 “behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no SECRET that is hidden from thee;”

We cannot live lifestyles that are not right and pure and keep that a secret from God. Family and loved ones may not know but God always knows and one day it will be revealed.

Luke 8:17 For nothing is hid, that shall not be made manifest; nor anything secret, that shall not be known and come to light.

The pigeon did not know that it was carrying a secret but it did know that it didn't want to be caught.

The bird was not afraid as long as he could keep his distance. We tried to lure it close enough to catch it in our hands but it would keep a safe distance. It would eat the bread crumbs but not from our hands. We followed the bird all over the yard and to escape our aggression it ran under the smoke house which crawl pace was open on the sides and the front. “Now we got him,” someone said. We went in after him. One on each side and one from the front. Closer and closer we crawled and as we reached out to take him in hand, he zipped past us. I can see it like it happened only yesterday. We scrambled from underneath the building with enough time to see it take to the wing and circle to reset its compass and head due south, the same direction of all those planes. One brother said “he is gone.” You know, like I said, secrets are secure with the Gibby boys.

Over the years several pigeons would stop at the farm to pick up food and grit for their craws, but we never again tried to catch any of them.

While writing this I thought of several things: we have no secrets that God doesn’t know, and it is no secret that God loves us. The saving truth of the gospel is not a secret. It is not a secret that we will all stand before God in judgment and all the secrets of every heart will be revealed.