A Great Day for Flying

     Al pointed out a loosely woven bird’s nest perched on a ledge of the carport a few days ago. I hadn’t even noticed it before that time, but had been aware of a lot of loud chirping in the area. Two small sparrows were busily flying back and forth from the nest with food for their babies who were making a ruckus. 

     From then on, whenever I walked by the carport, I tried to keep an eye on what was going on with the nest. It was draped over the automatic sensor light, with one exposed opening, but was otherwise closed so that the hatchlings weren’t visible. One morning, Al called me outside and pointed up to the nest.

     “What do you see?” He wanted to know.

     “Oh look…two babies,” I observed.

      “Well there were about four or five all sitting on the ledge earlier. I wish you had seen them,” he said. My timing was just a bit off.

       Evidently the day had arrived for the baby sparrows to leave the nest. They were getting flying instructions from their parents, which maybe went something like this:

      “Ok, kids, just jump off and start flapping those two little feathery things on your shoulders. Your brothers and sisters did it. See? Easy! Just follow us!”

      With much chirping, the adults flew down to a nearby fence and waited for the last of their little ones to follow. The two babies clung to their spot, not sure about this whole adventure. A couple of the others flew back to their familiar nest, hopped around some and took off with confidence. There also seemed to be one inside the nest who was afraid to come out. Maybe he was waiting for dinner, wondering why his calls were being ignored. I watched, fascinated, for several minutes before going back into the house.

      A short while later, we happened to look out the kitchen window just in time to see some of the tiny sparrows down on the ground, hopping around after their mother, who was trying to show them how to pick up seeds with their beaks. They fluttered their little wings and opened their mouths to get her attention, still hoping to be fed. First flying, then finding food…a lot to learn in a very short time!

      So what happened to the bird in the nest? When I went back to check on it the next day, the nest was pretty demolished with long strands of pine needles blowing in the breeze. It appeared to be abandoned; but there were still two little sparrows hanging around the area. Evidently all of the birds had left the nest; however, even though they could fly, these two seemed reluctant to leave the familiarity of “home.”

      Learning to fly…what a great demonstration as well as illustration of faith! Like the lesson taught to the baby sparrows, there is a point in our lives when we must put our trust in God, believing that His word is true, opening our hearts to His love and surrendering control to Him. Jesus, who has gone before us, living a life of love and sacrifice, dying that we might experience eternal life and a relationship with God the Father, says “Follow me!” It’s time to make the leap, dear friends. We have been created to have a personal relationship with God. Now it is time to fly!

      “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 NIV

(Published in the Porterville Recorder May 17,2014)