It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen happen to a little
bird and then…a miracle happened. Let me explain.
I walked into my garage and came upon a poor little bird caught in
a glue trap designed to catch insects and rodents. Its legs, belly, wing, head
and beak were pinned to a rectangle covered with glue like substance. This
substance was so thick and instantly formed a bond to anything it touched. As I
watched the bird helplessly struggle to set itself free I remembered how our son
had stepped in one of these glue traps recently. Trying to remove it from his
shoe was worse than removing gum from hot pavement or someone’s hair. Ultimately,
we gave up and we had to throw the shoe away.
How was I going to save this bird? Impossible! I had no idea this
trap could be so cruel. Perplexed at what I could do about this impossible
situation I watched as the bird tried to free itself , but only managed to
cause itself more harm. Picking up the panicked sparrow attached to the trap,
made me see how hopeless the situation was. My
attempts to set it free on my own were fruitless. My attempts, just panicked
the bird and risked injury to it as I could not assert enough pressure on its
beak, wings or limbs to pull it away from the glue. And making matters worse my
fingers kept getting stuck to the trap.
Remembering the scripture
that says God knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, I prayed to God,
“please give me an idea.” I prayed to St Francis, “Please Help God’s little
sparrow”.
A moment later it suddenly occurred to me to bring the bird over
to the dirt. It was a crazy idea but anything was worth trying. I spread dirt
all over the trap and all over the bird, paying special attention to it’s wings
and legs. First, I managed to get one leg free. Next its beak and its head were
set free. She gave me a little peck but then remained calm. Lastly using the sand
to dry the glue, I freed its belly and its other leg. I felt the he little bird
calm itself as it remained still in the palms of my hands while I rubbed sand
all over its glue ridden belly. (I did
this with the concern that it would try to clean it’s chest feathers and by
doing so, accidentally glue its own mouth shut.)
There I stood gazing at the bird I was holding
with amazement at how calm it was and at how the idea I was given had worked.
The bird was free from
the trap.
I
set it free to fly and watched as it met its mate
on a nearby tree branch. In this moment I was reminded how God wants us all to
be set free from what binds us. What binds you? Is it fear, guilt, anger…?
I know I was in a funk that day and when I
held that bird and set it free, it was as if God our Father said to me that He
holds us in the palm of his hands and we need not struggle so much but trust in
his care and his plan. You know sometimes we all can get stuck in a rut or a
funk. Sometimes situations can make us feel so trapped and it seems like there
is nothing we can do and nowhere to go but, if we can keep faith we will find
that God is really in those moments. This little bird showed up on a day when I
felt like that about a certain situation. I felt the Holy Spirit use this bird as a reminder
that with prayer and perseverance and maybe even trusting in doing the ridiculous,
nothing is impossible with God! I needed to be reminded that God is always with
us and that he holds us in the palm of his hands. I hope as you read this it
helps to be reminded of the same.
Luke 12 4 “I tell you, my friends, do
not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I
will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been
killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are
not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by
God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows.
