What a baby bird reminds us about God

One of the highlights of our summer was discovering a bird’s nest in the tree just outside our kitchen window.  (It's the simple things in life, right?)  Late one evening, however, my boys discovered that two of the birds had fallen from the nest before they were ready to fly.  One had already died and the other was struggling to survive.

My tender-hearted Brennan said a prayer for the bird that died, and we placed the struggling bird in a box to protect it from predators until we could call wildlife in the morning.

When we called for assistance, we were assuming we’d just be instructed on what to do to help the baby bird survive.  But to our surprise, they didn’t just tell us what to do, they said, “We are sending someone over to rescue the bird.”

A kind woman showed up at our house about an hour later.  When I greeted her at the door I said, “I just can’t believe you would come all the way out to our home to rescue this one tiny bird.”

She kindly replied,  “Of course I would.  They all matter. Each one of them matters.”

She opened the box and picked up the itty bitty bird to examine it’s condition. To our delight she told us the bird still had a shot.  However, she was going to have to take it home and feed it every fifteen minutes until it got strong enough to fly.

“You’d do all of that work for this one baby bird?” I asked.  (It's not that I didn't adore the baby bird. I did.  I just couldn't believe the sacrifice this woman was willing to make to rescue it.) 

With a smile on her face, she said again, “Each and every one of them matters.”

As the woman walked out of our backyard with the baby bird tucked gently into the palm of her hand, I was reminded of a passage in the gospel of Matthew.

“Are not two small birds sold for a very small piece of money? And yet not one of the birds falls to the earth without your Father knowing it. God knows how many hairs you have on your head. So do not be afraid. You are more important than many small birds.”  (Matthew 10:29-31)

Friend, I don’t know what hard things you're facing today but I do know this- if you are a mother, you are facing hard things.  Motherhood is beautiful and motherhood is hard.  Sometimes really hard.

But even in the hard, you can be encouraged.  Your Good Father in Heaven knows every thought of your heart and every hair on your head and you are more important to Him than you could ever imagine. 

So important, in fact, that He sent Jesus to rescue you.    

Jesus didn’t abandon us on the cross when He was absorbing the punishment for our sin and rebellion, and He isn’t going to abandon us now. (Romans 5:9-11) So whatever worries you are carrying and whatever fears you are facing, I hope you'll remember Matthew's encouragement. "Do not be afraid."  

All is grace,

jeannie
www.jeanniecunnion.com