Consider the Birds III: Long Hard Fall by Petra Pierre - Robertson

 

Luke 10:33 And when he saw [it] he had compassion

Long hard fall

The urgent call caused me to stop what I was doing.  I poked my head out of the window and looked down into the backyard. “Come see this!”

Mere seconds before I had heard a soft thud.  I raced out of the room, headed for the back door, and ran into the yard.  I gasped at the reason for the soft thud and the urgent call. 

   “I just happened to glance down. I don’t usually look in that direction. What if I hadn't?”

Displayed before my eyes was a baby bird in a plant pot. It had suffered a long hard fall from its nest, high up in the tree. We immediately sprang into action. A rescue plan was needed. With utmost care he took it up, placed it temporarily in a box and gave the box to me. Then, he got a ladder, climbed to the tip of the leaned limb, but strong tree, and, at peril to himself, he sat atop the ladder, which was precariously perched on bricks, to afford him access to the nest high up in the tree. Recognising that the tilt of the nest had resulted in the fall of the bird; and that, chances were, the bird would fall out again, he descended the ladder, got some items and fortified the nest before replacing the bird. Isaiah 60:10 captured the scenario aptly, for the son of a stranger [fortified] the [nest] for the bird.

The unlikely rescuer fortified the nest

I looked down in the box while I waited. Unaware of its plight, the baby bird instinctively elongated its jaws for nourishment necessary for growth. Exposed to the vagaries of its surroundings, and completely vulnerable, it kept instinctively opening and closing its mouth for food, unaware of the fact that anyone could have put anything down its throat. How tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls (Ecclesiastes 4:10). 

Unaware of its plight

Additionally, what if the cat that boldly roamed the yard (the subject of a future blog), had gotten to it before we did?  God’s eyes had been on that bird! 

 

The cat could have gotten it!

Have you fallen out of your tree? That tree may be a relationship, a job, a friendship, health, wealth, education some other comfort zone. And have you hit the ground with a thud? And do you feel no one has noticed your demise? Just as no bird falls to the ground without the father’s care (Matthew 10:29), so too you are not outside of the father’s care. God, the ultimate rescuer helps the fallen (Psalm 145:14).  He will lift, protect and reposition you, OR he will send, someone, even an unlikely rescuer, in the nick of time,  who will see you and have compassion (Luke 10:33), just as he did for that baby bird when it was at its most vulnerable.

Repositioned!

I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Psalm 118:13,14)

P.S.  Just under three weeks later the nest was abandoned. The baby bird had grown in quick time and had moved on to other experiences.  Doubtless the experiences it gained, including the hard fall, would have prepared it for even bigger challenges.  The lesson was clear: If racing with footmen wears you out; how can you expect to compete with horses? (Jeremiah 12:5) Your long hard fall will serve as preparation for future endeavours.

Consider the birds!

Blessings!