I'd like to think I'm a pigeon.

I heard an episode of Radiolab (an National Public Radio program worth listening to if you don't already) called "Lost & Found".  The whole episode was about, well, being lost,...and, er...found.  It was fascinating. Someone talks about the science of how the brain works to keep track of space and "maps" our world.  And a bunch of other stuff too.

But the thing that caught my attention the most was the piece on carrier pigeons (you should listen to this!).  It was unbelievably cool (definitely listen to it!). 

Carrier pigeons are almost never lost.  There have been numerous tests over 60 years to try to get a handle on how the pigeons do this.  You can take a pigeon anywhere away from its home.  It can be awake or asleep (or anesthetized), carried away from its home in the light or dark, in a box that the bird can't see out of, etc.  But if you take a pigeon away from its home and release it, it will fly home.  Always.

During the war, pigeons were getting shot, but still flying home.  They would arrive injured and nearly dead.

Nobody knows how or why they are able to do this.  But they do.  Without fail.  They have tried to trick pigeons in a number of ways, but rarely succeed.

And if you want to make sure it gets home quickly, get it jealous.  You see, pigeons are one of the few birds that are monogamous.  So if you put another male bird in the cage with some pigeon dude's girl when you take him out, as soon as you release him, he'll get home double quick.

I imagine a pigeon could get pretty serious about protecting their lady.

I'd like to think that I'm a carrier pigeon. 

No matter what happens in my life, I know that my heart will make it home.  No attack will stop me.  Nobody will prevent me from getting home to protect my family when that day comes. 

And I think God approaches us the same way.  Nobody can prevent him from finding us.  Nobody will prevent him from protecting those who he loves.