THE TINIEST OF TEACHERS

The Tiniest of Teachers

It was a beautiful summer day. We were vacationing in Norris Dam State Park in Tennessee. This quiet afternoon stood out among the others.

The grass was really tall, but out of the corner of my eye I saw something hopping through the blades. I knelt down to get a closer look. There sat a tiny little baby bird, no bigger than the palm of my hand. Its little chirps touched my heart. “Oh, how absolutely vulnerable this little creature is”, I thought.

On the previous day, my family and I had been to a presentation at the Park Ranger’s headquarters. The two guest speakers were bird rescuers. As we sat through their wildlife workshop, I was surprised to hear that birds had no sense of smell. They dispelled the myth that you could not touch a baby bird for fear that the mother would abandon its young if it had the scent of a human. I had asked them a question about rescuing baby birds that perhaps had fallen prematurely out of the nest. Little did I know, that today I would encounter such a situation.

There it sat—eyes looking up at me. “So defenseless, and alone,” I thought. There were no concerned parents flying around or squawking nearby trying to find their fallen baby. So I scooped the little one into my hands, wanting to protect it from the traipsing feet of unaware campers.

I held my newfound friend for a few moments. It gazed up at me as I stroked its head. I cherished the moment…

As an avid lover of God’s creation, this was special… How tiny, helpless and trusting it was. With the eyes of curious children nearby, I decided that I should bring it to a safe place—near the tree where I had found it, yet a bit deeper in the woods.

I set it down—knowing fully that it’d have a much better chance to live a full life—separate from that which could bring it harm.

As I walked back to my campsite, satisfied that I had helped this little baby bird, the Lord spoke to my heart...

“We are tiny in a vast world—we are vulnerable in a lost world, and we must trust that there is a place of safety. How He longs to pick us up in His nail-scarred hands, protect us from harm, and bring us to a better place.”

As I sat down by the campfire, I thanked Him for using one of His tiny creatures to illustrate His great love and care for me...