A Wistful Kind Of Sunday

I awoke to a beautiful morning and decided to work in the yards on different areas that could use some serious pruning. Sprinklers were placed in the front and back yard as Pascagoula received a very small amount of rain Friday. At 10AM I went inside for a cup of coffee and to watch an old "black and white" movie. I heard a noise, over the blare of the TV, coming from the glass doored fireplace. When I very carefully opened the door, with the intention to just peek in, a rather large bird flew out. Although I am no stranger to all kinds of situations, having a wild scared to death bird flying around the house fast became a predicament for me. How do I safely get him out before he breaks his neck running into the walls, windows and doors?

His first crash was into the pantry door. As he lay with his wings spread I thought maybe I could throw something over him and get him outside the house but "bird flu" came to my mind and I decided not to touch him.


Next he tried the french doors off the backporch


This bird was determined to set himself free as the next pic shows. I also see I need to screw an outlet plate back in the wall.


I thought about putting a broom handle between him and me so I could knock him from the receptacle before he was electrocuted. Poor dumb little bird!

Finally he was on the backporch where I had the outside door open for his exit but it would take me 45 minutes to get him out that door. He ran into the screens not once but over and over. By my estimation he was "out cold" at least six times.



I was starting to get worried that after my putting so much time into trying to save this little bird that he wasn't going to make it. He would hide in the plants on the porch and at times he would gently fly to a screen and look out almost wistfully before he continued to forcefully slam himself against the same screens.


When he was in a stunned state, I gently pushed him out the door. I was saddened because after the battle he put up to survive, he was dead.


Finally I gave him a nudge and he soared to the sky. He seemed to look back at me as if saying, "I don't know why I fell down your chimney and landed in your fireplace but I do know that although my battle was hard, without your help I would have died in the fireplace."

Since I dont believe in coincidence, there is a lesson to be learned from this determined little bird. No matter the obstacles in his way his persistence set him free. I have been guilty of looking back and longing for the happy times that were in my life. I know that retreating to the past and happier times was only wistful thinking but I wanted those same happy times to follow me into the post Katrina future that promises to be difficult and uncertain.

Our Creator says he even notices the little sparrow that falls to the ground and I would like to think He permitted this little bird to fall into my fireplace to remind me that I am worth far more than the sparrow and under His guidance I will step into the future.