Birds, Me and God

Today another hummingbird hit our front window and was twitching on the deck. The last hummingbird I had posted a picture of had a little more to the story...

I have been doing a study on faith. The day the first bird flew into our window, I had been learning about asking the Lord for things, even when we don't know how he will answer, and trusting that He is good. In the book I was reading, the author pointed out how we often get disappointed in this life. We feel hurt, and react by not asking God for things. So for bird #1, I had asked Jesus to let the bird live. ( I know, kinda silly. I am not even a bird lover. They are flighty and I would never want one for a pet.) Bird #1 died, and I felt like this tiny "teachable moment" (as we called them at camp) was an object lesson for me. I asked. God said no. I was disappointed. I told the Lord that in life I wanted to learn to keep asking him for things even when I had been disappointed before.

So today when bird #2 flew into our window, I kinda chuckled and rolled my eyes. The timing was not good. I wasn't really in the mood for more object lessons:) The bird looked worse to me than the first bird. I watched it twitch for a couple minutes and then Bridger came up and asked what I was looking at. I told him it was another bird, and that we could pray for it and I would get it some juice if he would turn it over for me:) Bridger turned it over and I fed it. It sputtered around, and kept twitching. I sprinkled water on it's head hoping that it would snap out of it, and it did perk up. Then it wobbled around and stood still again.

Bridger said, "I think he's giving up mom." So we told the bird not to give up. I gave it more juice through the feeder and then it actually tried to fly, but seemed unsuccessful, just like bird
# 1. I was fearing it would just be a matter of time before this one died too. But Bridger kept saying, " I think God is going to heal him mom."

Then he tried to fly again, and lifted up off to the deck railing, then to a bush. Then he fell in the bush a little, and I cringed, and then he lifted off and flew clear across the yard up to a tall tree! Bridger and I were so excited.

Later I "confessed" to Bridger that earlier I had not been too sure the bird would live. I told him that I had prayed for another bird while he was in Montana and that it had died, and I was doubting if I should ask God again to let this second bird live and he jumped in, "Yes! Yes we should have." When I asked him why he knew we should he replied,

"Because God loves the things He makes and wants them to live."

So today I felt a lot of joy over a little bird and my little boy who knows so confidently that God is good. Even if "my" first bird died, I should keep asking. Childlike faith is encouraging. And this little story really is not about me trying to have bird healings on my deck:D I think it is a little lesson on faith and hope. Tonight while tucking Bridger into bed, he said, "Mom, we were kinda like the Good Samaritan for that little bird. You know, like that guy that got beaten up by the robins (no, that is not a typo) and the Samaritan came and helped him. We were the Samaritan and God healed him."

We all have birds that die. I have much deeper things that I desire from the Lord than hummingbirds. But as embarrassed as I am about this silly post, I know that God doesn't want His children to stop asking Him for things. Even when we have been so disappointed before. He is a good Father who loves the things He makes.