The Littlest Life

From time to time, we are reminded of God's perfect design and how He can use the smallest moments in time to teach us great lessons. Yesterday, I came home and found my way out to our garden. Then I wandered over to Olivia and Avery's garden, which is filled with raspberries, canteloupe and pumpkins. I was pulling some of their weeds to help them out, when I looked over and there it was. A little tiny, pink fleshy pulsing blob of what was intended to be a robin. It was newly born, couldn't be but minutes old. The egg had fallen out of the tree and I looked up and could see mama bird sitting there on the rest. The egg was 3/4 intact and the bird appeared to be fine.....blind, bald and TOTALLY DEPENDANT ON ME! I stared at the height of the tree. I stared at the strength of the branches....could I do it? Could I get that baby back into that nest? hmm. I knew one thing for sure, that baby needed to be kept warm. I held her close to my body and wished I could nurse her to health! I know I know, but it is really a mother's intent to make sure those babies survive! Why couldn't that mother bird swoop down and solve my problem? Why couldn't she understand what I was trying to say to her. I grabbed a ladder and tried to reach up, coming up VERY short. I tried to bend those branches down to me, as they were not big enough to bear any weight but could they maybe bend to me? No. Then I got a net from a swimming pool and attempted to reach up to that branch and bend it down a bit. I scared mom off, but didn't get the limb close enough. Frustrated but determined, the minutes passed. I began thinking this must be how God feels when he is trying to get our attention. We are so close, but yet ignor his calls. He only wants to help us, just like I wanted to help that mother and baby reunite. Yet, even though I tried to sound like a bird and tried to coax her into trusting me, she would not. No matter what attempts I took to reach her, to bring her to me, to go to her, she wasn't having it. This must be how our Father in heaven feels so often. Soon 55 minutes had passed and I went to the internet. It said putting her back would work and the mom wouldn't abandon her or her siblings if the nest wasn't moved, even with human scent on her. It said it was imperative that humidity be high for this bird to survive! Well welcome to Nebraska, little one. You were born in the right place at least. And I was giving off massive heat of my own in my efforts to save her. I started to panic. No, I wasn't going to go to Gretna days. I was going to make this baby live. The internet said regurgitated worms are what they are fed for 3 day. Hmm....yes it occurred to me! I know, I have officially lost it, right. Then I thought of putting it in a blender with a dab of water. Yep, I am totally gone! Ha! I called my friend, Heather, who is one of the most amazing people on this earth. She instantly knew to call the wildlife rescue people, and in fact pretty much had one on speed dial! Within minutes, she called me back with a solution. "Get a butter tub, drill holes for drainage, put in dryer lint for warmth and hang it in the tree," she said. "The mother bird will swoop down and get her when she chirps for food." While on the phone, I had the drill in hand and was goin for it. Hmmm. Do I have dryer lint? When was the last time I used that bad boy laundry room? AAHH, yes, there was plenty. I proudly stuck her in her new rescue station and tucked her in. The girls and I prayed for her and off we went to Gretna days.
This morning she was still alive, looking a bit dehydrated, but still breathing and still having a heartbeat, although weaker. She had done well overnight, and I was proud of her. I thought perhaps this could work! Elated, I checked on her periodically, even trying to put a syrange of water in her beak to give her a sip. She was so sweet. But in the end, it was to much for her to survive without her mother. She needed the love that only her mother could provide, much as we need the love only our Father can provide. We had a family burial and found another nest to bury the bird in. Olivia took it especially hard. She cried and cried and I simply held her. I felt her pain, for I too wanted that bird to live. I was proud of her heart. She has compassion beyond words. Her heart for others is great and ultimately the goal. She has known so much about death with humans, based on what we teach about eternity, but for animals that is a bit harder. I think the lessons here are for both of us. First, for me, listening to God's calling is imperative and if I fail to do so, I may miss His purpose for me. I may miss what he is trying to do in my life and for His glory. Second, for Olivia, learning about loving and losing and trusting are just small steps in this great big world of lessons. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make our paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.