The Bird that Died

So sad. It was lying on its back on the path, at the foot of a lamppost. Its red and pink breast contrasting with the grey of the tarmac. I picked it up. It was dead but no visible signs of injury. I don’t think its demise had happened much before I came along – it had probably collided with the lamppost in the half-light of the morning. But as I looked at the combination of the colours, the black and dark blues, the greys and fawns, crowned with the beautiful fluffy breast of exquisitely merged hues of red and pink I marvelled again about the wonders of our created world. I thought it was a chaffinch but it had a black head and neck, so perhaps was another member of the finch family.

The Bible contains many references to birds, but the one I immediately thought of came from Jesus – in Matthew 10:29, He said, “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” So my feathered friend died this morning, falling to the ground with God’s full knowledge. In verse 31 in the same passage Jesus said, “So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

God’s creation matters enormously to Him. And mankind in particular. He loves us, provides for us, heals our sicknesses, forgives our sins, and is currently making a home for us in Heaven so that we will be with Him forever one day. Jesus said in John 14, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” Anyone troubled today? Anyone battling with the issues of life? Getting close to God will somehow make the problems of life go “strangely dim” as it says in the old song.

My feathered friend is now in the recycling bin; an ignominious end for a created wonder. But as far as we are concerned, trusting Him with our future means we don’t have to worry and fret about where we will end up. Will there be birds in Heaven? I like to think so. They’re too beautiful not to be.