Psalm 119:43(MSG)
Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever--Your commandments are what I depend on.
I was sitting at my desk enjoying the sights, sounds, and feel of summer the other day. The birds were singing, the warm breezes were gently blowing the scent of sweet flowers into the room, and the distant sound of laughter from children playing filled the air. The sun shining brightly through the trees creating dancing shadows on the wall had hypnotized me into a trance like state, until suddenly the sound of the door slamming and feet rushing down the hall jolted me back to reality. "Mom...Mom...come quick! A bird is hurt and we have to help it!"
Now, being the conservationist that I am...err....want to be, I do know a little something about the ways of the "wild ones". What I definitely know without hesitation is that these independent creatures are better left untouched. I prepared my speech, cleared my throat, and began the spiel to my daughter about why we will "leave the bird alone". I concluded the ten minute dissertation with the explanation that if we remain inside and observe the scene we will see the bird's parents swoop down and rescue it. "We must only be patient and it will happen," I confidently reassured her.
We waited. And waited. And waited some more. Meanwhile, the bird continued it's flopping state on the pavement without progress and with no rescuers showing up to save the poor unfortunate victim. "Well", I said, "we can gently place him in the grass by the field. Surely there, the parents will find him."
After gingerly setting the little fellow on his bed of grass in the shade by the tree he probably flew or fell out of, we went inside. There. Done. Until, that is about three hours later, when my sweet and most compassionate daughter came assertively marching back into my office to report that the bird had been screaming for the past two hours and there were no parents in sight. "Please," she pleaded, " now he is stuck in the grass with all of the tall weeds and can't get free! Will you get him, Mom? Please!" Just to be clear that I understood her request, I restated it back. "You want me to climb through the barbed wire, traipse through the waist high weeds filled with ticks and chiggers, and cut the bird free. Is that right?" Of course she responded, "Exactly!"
I know that you know what I did. I know this, because if you've followed my blog for very long then you have read my post entitled " Bunny Beatitudes". (Click here to read it.) If you've read it, then you know that I am a rescuer. I have tales of heroic "saves", and yes, this shall be another one!
Scaling the barbed wire and narrowly averting disaster with the sparkling sharp razor edges, I snaked my way through the fence. Once on the other side, I literally swam my way through the tall weeds with the sound of the flailing bird as my GPS. My daughter was right. This bird was trapped and doomed. That is my first and really only prerequisite for attempting to assist a "wild one". They have to be in a situation where without our help they will die....not maybe die...but will die unless we intervene. They must be totally dependent on us with no possibility of nature helping out.
He met the rescue admission criteria. The poor little beautiful thing was completely tangled in the weeds with one of the strongest plants acting as a rope and nearly severing off it's wing. Carefully, I used my gloved hand to untangle and free the bird. Scooping him up, I passed him off to the waiting loving gloved hands of my daughter.
Mere minutes away from a certain demise was this bright and healthy looking woodpecker. I worked feverishly to cut the long strands of tough grass off of his wing. Whether he was aware of it or not, he was now relying on us for all nourishment and help.
I went inside and got a medicine dispenser full of water and gave it to my daughter to feed to the bird. She held the water out for him and he gladly drank....and drank...and drank! Yep. He was totally dependent on us for that drink. He also had no ability to fly.
I love today's verse because it reminds me of the dependence I have on my God. Life is so precious and so fragile. We can't afford not to trust Him. He is a good God and He does good. He has a perfect plan for each of our lives. He has counted the number of hairs on our head and He is with us. He is for us. He loves us.
As for our little bird friend, you will have to return for part two of this story to find out what else we learned from him.
Father,
Thank you for allowing us to depend so completely on you. I know that there are heavy burdens being carried tonight. Please lift us up and shelter us as we allow You to become our everything in obedience and dependence.
In Christ's name,
Amen
Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever--Your commandments are what I depend on.
I was sitting at my desk enjoying the sights, sounds, and feel of summer the other day. The birds were singing, the warm breezes were gently blowing the scent of sweet flowers into the room, and the distant sound of laughter from children playing filled the air. The sun shining brightly through the trees creating dancing shadows on the wall had hypnotized me into a trance like state, until suddenly the sound of the door slamming and feet rushing down the hall jolted me back to reality. "Mom...Mom...come quick! A bird is hurt and we have to help it!"
Now, being the conservationist that I am...err....want to be, I do know a little something about the ways of the "wild ones". What I definitely know without hesitation is that these independent creatures are better left untouched. I prepared my speech, cleared my throat, and began the spiel to my daughter about why we will "leave the bird alone". I concluded the ten minute dissertation with the explanation that if we remain inside and observe the scene we will see the bird's parents swoop down and rescue it. "We must only be patient and it will happen," I confidently reassured her.
We waited. And waited. And waited some more. Meanwhile, the bird continued it's flopping state on the pavement without progress and with no rescuers showing up to save the poor unfortunate victim. "Well", I said, "we can gently place him in the grass by the field. Surely there, the parents will find him."
After gingerly setting the little fellow on his bed of grass in the shade by the tree he probably flew or fell out of, we went inside. There. Done. Until, that is about three hours later, when my sweet and most compassionate daughter came assertively marching back into my office to report that the bird had been screaming for the past two hours and there were no parents in sight. "Please," she pleaded, " now he is stuck in the grass with all of the tall weeds and can't get free! Will you get him, Mom? Please!" Just to be clear that I understood her request, I restated it back. "You want me to climb through the barbed wire, traipse through the waist high weeds filled with ticks and chiggers, and cut the bird free. Is that right?" Of course she responded, "Exactly!"
I know that you know what I did. I know this, because if you've followed my blog for very long then you have read my post entitled " Bunny Beatitudes". (Click here to read it.) If you've read it, then you know that I am a rescuer. I have tales of heroic "saves", and yes, this shall be another one!
Scaling the barbed wire and narrowly averting disaster with the sparkling sharp razor edges, I snaked my way through the fence. Once on the other side, I literally swam my way through the tall weeds with the sound of the flailing bird as my GPS. My daughter was right. This bird was trapped and doomed. That is my first and really only prerequisite for attempting to assist a "wild one". They have to be in a situation where without our help they will die....not maybe die...but will die unless we intervene. They must be totally dependent on us with no possibility of nature helping out.
 |
| Our injured Northern Flicker Woodpecker. |
He met the rescue admission criteria. The poor little beautiful thing was completely tangled in the weeds with one of the strongest plants acting as a rope and nearly severing off it's wing. Carefully, I used my gloved hand to untangle and free the bird. Scooping him up, I passed him off to the waiting loving gloved hands of my daughter.
 |
I went inside and got a medicine dispenser full of water and gave it to my daughter to feed to the bird. She held the water out for him and he gladly drank....and drank...and drank! Yep. He was totally dependent on us for that drink. He also had no ability to fly.
I love today's verse because it reminds me of the dependence I have on my God. Life is so precious and so fragile. We can't afford not to trust Him. He is a good God and He does good. He has a perfect plan for each of our lives. He has counted the number of hairs on our head and He is with us. He is for us. He loves us.
As for our little bird friend, you will have to return for part two of this story to find out what else we learned from him.
Father,
Thank you for allowing us to depend so completely on you. I know that there are heavy burdens being carried tonight. Please lift us up and shelter us as we allow You to become our everything in obedience and dependence.
In Christ's name,
Amen
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