My two boys noticed the bird first. The wounded animal had been sitting very still in the yard for at least an hour. They came to report on its condition every 15 minutes, pleading with me to “save” it. I begrudgingly got up from my desk, grabbed a box and went to tend to the bird.
I admit, my outlook on the bird’s recovery was grim. However, the boys asked me to pray over the bird, so I obliged. As the boys went to school, I planned for what seemed the inevitable disposal of our feathered visitor.
Imagine my surprise when I went to check on the bird, only to find that it had flown off. Learning of the recovery when they came home, their joy matched my amazement.
The message on the wings of that bird reminded me that prayer is real, and that God cares for all, even sparrows.
Today we remember George Herbert, hymnwriter, who died in 1633. March is National Women’s History Month. This message was adapted from “Return of the Sparrow” by Daniel L. Bohlman that appeared in the April 2002 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.