A cell phone photo and the message, “Come quick!  We’re by the two ponds!” had me out the door and on my way with a shoe box and pair of latex gloves in hand.  

I arrived to find our granddaughter, Lauren, providing shadow-shade for a baby mocking bird who was roasting on the blacktop. As I bent to inspect the bird, she explained, with a mix of pride and disgust, how she had brushed an ant from the bird’s eye. Things were not looking good.  

A Google search answered feeding questions but there was a definite dip in enthusiasm when mashed worms were placed on the menu. Grandpa saved the day when he reached deep within the refrigerator to produce a stash of meal worms normally reserved for blue birds.  To everyone’s delight (and relief), “Chipper” gobbled them whole.

Heading for bed Lauren asked, “Do you think she’ll live?” With a hug we reassured her she had done all she could, had given Chipper her best last chance and, in the worst case, had provided a safe and comfortable place for her to spend the last hours of her life.

Night passed and dawn found Chipper flapping her little wings and begging loudly for meal worms! Did you know baby birds must be fed every hour from dawn to dusk?  That is a big responsibility for a young girl to take one but, with passionate promises for loving care, seat belts were fastened, car doors closed and Chipper headed for home on the lap of a very dedicated young lady.

Back home Lauren’s younger brother shared he also had found a fledgling in distress and knew all about ants and how quickly they can find a baby bird. The adults he had spent the weekend with told him to leave the bird alone and let nature take its course.  Reluctantly he obeyed but early in the morning returned to check on the bird. As expected, nature had taken its course. He hosed off the ants and then buried the baby bird.

Those folks missed a golden opportunity to demonstrate the love of God and be heroes.  Instead of, “Let nature take its course” why not, “Let’s see what we can do”?  Worse, they let pass an ideal chance to share a bit of biblical truth in nature’s environment. They could have easily said, “You know, this bird might be a sparrow. Did you know in Jesus’ day you could buy five sparrows for two cents?  The Bible says even though sparrows are not worth very much, not one of them is ever forgotten by God. And get this; as much as God cares about sparrows, He cares much, much more about you!  He knows the exact number of hairs on your head?  He cares about you and will never forget you”… (Luke 12:6&7)

Two birds, two tales, two very different life lessons…  Which one would you have chosen?
 
You can e-mail penny:  penny@theBloomLady.com or follow her on Twitter.