A little bird told me……2 November 2009

I was reminded recently of the time, a couple of years ago, when a small bird flew into the warehouse where I worked and could not find it’s way out.

One of the women there followed it’s progress and, some minutes later, called to me to come and pick it up off the floor and take it back outside.  Why me I didn’t know, but I answered the call for help anyway.  Before I could get there it flew up to a high window, then on to a partition.  I reached out my hand and it hopped onto my finger, but again before I could carry it outside it flew off.

I returned to my work.  Two minutes later I was called again.  It was down on the floor once more.  This time I was able to gently take it in my hand.  I could feel it’s little heart beating and it looked around nervously.  I carried it outside, squatted down, and placed it on my hand.  There were some small trees less than ten feet away.  The bird, which I thought was a Great Tit, looked around for perhaps a minute and then flew up into the nearest tree.  Then after a bit of preening it flew away.

The following day I was outside, alone, at lunchtime and near those same trees.  A small group of birds came flying toward where I stood and settled in one of them. One bird looked very much like the one I had helped, but I really can’t tell one from another of the same species.  The others, there were five of them, were slightly smaller and looked to me like Blue Tits.  They seemed to be looking at me and they sat there for about a minute, then the smaller birds flew up onto the roof and out of sight.  The other bird sat there for, perhaps, another half minute, chirruped two or three times, then flew off.  I like to think it was the bird I had helped come back to say “thank you”.

When we go astray, or find ourselves in a position we don’t want to be in, who helps us?  When we are backed into a corner with no way out and suddenly an unseen door opens to set us free, where did that come from?  You and I know that it could only have come from God.  He knows where we are and what we need and He takes care of us.

Like the one leper who came back to Jesus to say “thank you” for curing him, let us not forget to thank God for all he does for us.  And thank him also for the times He gives us the opportunity to be of service to others in need.