Noisy Friends and a Faithful God
I was the first one to discover the bird laying on its side with its legs flailing.
My aunt is an animal lover by nature with her own collection of pets. Within seconds she had the bird wrapped in a towel on her lap as she held the bird's head gently in place in an effort to calm it down.
Then this scene unfolded before me. Several other birds came and stood on the fence nearby, squawking loudly at the bird on my aunt's lap. The injured bird would respond, and I couldn't help but think of the story in Job.
When Job suffered loss, his friends were quick to gather around pointing out what he must have done and what he should do.
Isn't that what we do? Try to reason our way through the afflictions of life?
However, neither Job nor his friends were privy to the conversation we read about in the beginning of the book of Job between God and Satan. God Himself pointed out Job for Satan to afflict, confident of Job's heart staying true to God. Job lost all his cattle, his land and belongings, his children, and just when it seemed things couldn't get any worse, Job had afflictions on his body and his wife even told him to curse God and die.
This little bird somehow, quite possibly at the coaching of the noisy bird friends, jumped off my aunt's lap, to land sideways on the ground, with its little legs flailing again.
And just when it seemed like it couldn't get any worse for the little bird, my aunt's dog grabbed a hold of it in his mouth.
Once more quick to the rescue, she had the dog release the bird and with some TLC, she placed the bird on the other side of the fence, alone.
All those noisy bird "friends" were now gone.
Suffering feels like this doesn’t it? The longer it goes on, the more alone we feel. Our faith feels thin and stretched wondering at times if God is anywhere near.
I'm reminded of the old Footprints poem, which articulates the question we carry as we navigate the unknown terrain that pain and heartache bring. The author cries to God wondering why there were only one set of footprints in the sand during life's greatest trials. The author's faith could clearly see twin sets of footprints in the sand when life was easier, but wondered why God would leave them alone when they needed Him most. God pointed out those solo footprints in the sand weren't because the worn traveler was alone, but was because God was carrying them through the hard times.
We don't know what happened to that little bird — but God does. That little bird, placed quietly on the other side of the fence, was not abandoned. It was held, tended to, and released into God's care.
May you and I be reminded that in the quietness of our suffering, we have a God who holds us in His care, while He also holds the outcome of our future. Let's pause and take a moment to trust Him today.
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" — Matthew 6:26 NIV
