THE ROBINS

While working at a camp one summer I noticed a baby robin that had evidently been lost from its nest.  It sat in the grass beneath the window of the camper where I was staying.  It was able to hop a little but did not roam far.  The parent birds found it and were taking care of it so that it could grow to maturity.

I checked each day to see if the precious little life was still there.

I would watch out my window for an hour early in the morning.  The parents alternated in bringing food and thrusting it down the baby’s throat with quick precision.  The baby had its mouth open and was eager to take it.  The baby patiently sat between feedings as sometimes it took awhile for a parent to return.  They were very persistent and kept coming continuously.  It seemed to be their sole task to take care of that little bird. 

One time, instead of feeding the baby, the mother ate the food she had caught.  I realized that the parents needed to eat to keep up strength to continue their arduous work.

I’m guessing that it must have been mother bird that was so protective.  She would look all around before approaching the baby and when she approached, so as not to  lead anything to the baby, she would take an indirect route.  

Once, I heard very loud chattering. It was from one of the parent birds. My thought was that if danger was lurking, the loud noise would draw attention away from baby to the noise maker.  It must work because I stopped watching the baby and looked for the source of the vociferous chirping.

LIFE LESSONS

1. Oftentimes people get out of their nests and their lives meet various dangers.  Do we care enough to find them?  Do we take time to learn where they are?  God came to Adam and Eve and asked, “Where are you?”  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

2. Are we as devoted to one another as those robins to their baby?  Christ-followers are members of one another.  We also belong to the God-created human family.  Do we care that others grow to maturity?

3. That little baby robin was eager to receive the food brought to it.  Unfortunately, people are not always so eager to be helped.  People must want help and allow it.  Independence and pride can be a stopper.

4. How do we stay strong and get what it takes so that we can help others?  Those parent robins knew where to get their food. 

5. The robins were persistent.  They kept at it constantly.  Are we persevering until the job is done?  Those robins never gave up and quit.

THE BLACKBIRD

While walking along a dirt road, a barb wire fence on my left, camera in hand - I was confronted by a blackbird.  It would take off from its perch on a fence post and circle around my head about fifteen feet away, squawking as it flew.  When I stopped to gaze, it would again land on the fence or one of the posts. This same pattern repeated itself about three or four times.  I finally decided that it must want me to follow it.  I stopped and walked toward the wooden fence post on which it was sitting and it flew to the roof of a nearby shed.  “This is foolish”, I thought, “The shed is empty, and I’m not going up there.” “The bird is not trying to get me to follow it.”  I continued on my way and it circled and squawked again.  It landed on another fence post.  “The bird must want me to take its picture”, I thought.  I walked over to it with readied camera and took a good close-up picture.  That must have been what the bird wanted because it did not bother me again.

LIFE LESSONS

1. Sometimes, interruptions in what we are doing may be for a good purpose, and not irritation or anger, but thoughtfulness needs to be our response.

2. Many people need attention.  It is perhaps one of the greatest and most important gifts we can give.