There was this magician of some repute who was hired to do his act aboard a cruise ship. He had been there for several years and since the crowd was in continual change he did the same act over and over.

One day the Captain bought a parrot and over the months brought the parrot with him to see the nightly magic show.

Being a smart parrot the bird learned all the tricks as to where the cards, flower, etc were hidden by the magician in his act. Because the bird would say, “the card is up his left sleeve, the flower is under the pot, he hid the money under his shoe, etc.” the magician was FORCED to continually learn new tricks which was getting harder and harder by the day.

To put it mildly he HATED THAT PARROT, but since it was the Captains he didn’t want to weigh the bird down and deep six it overboard.

Late one night the engine room exploded and the ship sank within minutes. Miraculously, the magician found himself clinging to a timber, floating in the water at 0200 dark in the morning. He was the only one left alive.

But to his chagrin, resting on his shoulder was the annoying Parrot.

They glared at each other and said nothing. This went on for three days and neither said a word, just glared.

On the Fourth Day the Parrot finally broke the silence and said, “OK! I give up – what did you do with the ship!”

Sometimes we look at God as a magician, with all kinds of tricks up His sleeve. We think we have come to completely understand Him. But Isaiah 55:8 says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. So next time trouble comes your way… don’t blame God. It was Satan who afflicted Job, not God. But God allowed it so that Job might prove his mettle. It is through the fires of life that we are purified. If your ship is sinking, maybe God is allowing you an opportunity to rest on his shoulder.