The Martin House

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31 ESV).

Earlier this week, after the thunderstorm, I went out to view the possible damage and finding none, I noticed a small fledgling bird off to the side in the back of our yard. Now, our yard is a little over an acre, so there is plenty of room for all the critters. Mary and I enjoy watching the birds and keep a full feeder all year round. Some of the other birds we like to watch are the purple martins. I keep a house for them well away from the house and each year it is full of nesting pairs who hatch their chicks and teach them to soar through the air as easily as they do. One of the other things I’ve noticed each year is how there’s always one chick that seems to have difficulty getting his wings under him. This year was no exception. The fledgling I saw at the back was just sitting on the ground, which is very unusual for a martin. I could see it was not hurt, but it was having difficulty getting airborne. That’s a recipe for disaster with three dogs also in the yard. I walked slowly toward the little bird, hoping to simply get it to take off. It hopped off and I began to notice all the adult martins were circling in protection. They were not unaware of the little bird’s plight. Yet, it still couldn’t quite get off the ground. I thought it might just need a little height to begin to glide through the air. So, I slowly approached and gently took it in my hands, walking it to the fence. It was unhurt, but just couldn’t get off the ground. Once I set it on the fence, it jumped into the air, flapped its wings a few times and gained enough altitude to rise on the breeze. Soon it was joined by the others as they swooped through the air finding insects for their breakfast! I was reminded how often God has treated me like that. I’ve often found myself “grounded” by some difficult circumstance when I just couldn’t get off the ground. I needed someone to lift me up where I could catch the breeze and do what I was designed for. God has never failed to come at just the right time, in just the right way to lift me up gently. That knowledge has given me strength to endure whatever momentary difficulty may be a part of my journey. Whatever your circumstance is at this time in your life, please know that God sees you and knows precisely what you need. He will place you gently into the perfect place to begin flying again. We are so much more valuable to him than birds of the air!