The Fledgling

Psalm 84:3 – Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young — a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. (NIV)

In springtime, the birds in my area compete for nesting sites in my carport or in the rhododendron bush beside my house. Because my windows look directly into each place, I am afforded a bird's eye view of the goings-on. In no time at all, a pair of sparrows fluttered back and forth from their nest, shoving small insects and seeds into the beaks of their young.

Later this summer, I saw my dog furiously barking at a small brown blob in the grass. It turned out to be a fledgling sparrow. When I approached, I found that it was panting from fright. I scooped it into my hands and gently deposited it into my rhododendron bush, hopefully a safer place than in my grassy yard. Later that evening, I spied an identical fledgling hopping into my neighbour's rhododendron bush. It could have been the same baby bird or a sibling, but either way, a baby bird was safe.

This episode brought to mind the words of Jesus:

Matthew 10:29,31 – Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (NIV)

Jesus clearly states that God's oversight extends to the sparrows, but how much more does it include us! Just as I gently scooped up the baby bird and deposited it where it would be safe, I believe that God will do so much more for us. When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, then we will find ourselves safely scooped up into God's almighty hands, forever safe.

However, God's safe haven might not always seem like one that we would pick, even as Christians. Our choice might simply be some place or thing that is familiar, but not all that eternally safe. God would rather have us to be eternally safe through Jesus than to be in places that we find comfortably familiar. If God notes the fluttering fall of a fledgling, won't God note when one of us falls into trouble by venturing out from under His protective wing?

Prayer: Father God, we know that familiar things may not be eternally safe. We seek eternal safety through abiding in Christ, for we pray in His name. Amen.