One morning I was at a friend's house enjoying some conversation.
Suddenly she exclaimed, "There's a bird on the back porch!
We watched the bird fly back and forth trying to find its way out of the screened-in area. After several minutes she picked up a newspaper and headed through the door to the porch.
"I'll have to help it find its way out before it hurts itself," she said. She opened a screen door so the bird could escape, but it continued to fly around in every direction except towards the open door.
As she approached the bird it, panicked and flew away from her. Every time she tried to direct it to the open door by waving the newspaper, it would fly in the opposite direction. Finally she cornered the frightened bird and with the aid of the newspaper was able to gently pick it up. She carried it carefully to the open door and delicately tossed it into the air. It gracefully flapped its wings and soared to freedom.
I asked her what it was like to pick up the bird.
"It looked so fragile I was afraid to grip it. I just scooped it up and cautiously held it."
"Didn't it panic?
"No," she said, "it was really strange. As soon as I picked it up it completely relaxed and didn't struggle at all."
Watching this entire event unfold was a tremendous spiritual experience for me. I suddenly saw myself as the frightened bird. Many times I have trapped myself in circumstances and panicked when I couldn't find my way out. My loving heavenly Father tried to guide me in the direction of freedom but I would run the opposite way. He would patiently wait until I backed myself into a corner and then He placed His loving arms around me. It was then I relaxed and let Him carry me to safety.
Lesson from a Bird
