Bryan's
My family and I live close to a bird sanctuary, a place where injured birds are taken for care. It’s a combination avian hospital, sanctuary, and education center. It’s not far from a wolf sanctuary, but that’s another story.
A few weeks ago we decided to take our kids out on an educational safari and learn about birds. I had been noticing many Bible references to various birds and, knowing the subtly of the leading of the Spirit of God, and surmised he was baiting me to do some research and learn something important.
We found Lone Elk Park, our landmark to the sanctuary. While we didn’t see even a lone elk, we saw plenty of buffalo! It looked like the legendary Indian Happy Hunting Ground, only protected from poachers. The signs warned not to approach the buffalo and, having seen a bull stampede on a farm when I was a kid, I enforced its wisdom to my kids. Following the road, we finally arrived at the sanctuary.
What an amazing place. Sanctuary is one of those multilayered words that can mean anything from refuge to shelter to a consecrated place where holy things are kept. It was a delight to realize that those pesky birds that seem to love targeting my recently always washed car are of such importance to God. Yet as delightful as they are to him, we humans are of much more value in his eyes.
Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” Mt 10:29, 31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will… Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Tell those radical animal rights activists to put THAT on their barbecued tofu and roast it!
God watched the birds and their ways. He sees even beyond the heights the birds can see and navigate from, the way mentioned in Job 28:7; “That path no bird knows, nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.” Truly, he who sits enthroned in the heavens… watches.
In the education center, we saw pythons and hissing Madagascar Beetles, parakeets and bunnies. Outside, we saw several varieties of owl, one with a 5 foot wingspan, various kinds of eagles, vultures, and even a few condors.
We saw a curious cage with no roof for wounded eagles, some hit by speeding vehicles and others shot illegally by hunters. These poor birds could not fly. I hung my head in sorrow watching one eagle with one whole and partial wing trying vainly to fly. A creature destined for the heavens should not remain so earthbound. Their cage was not made of wire, but of incurred wounds. I thought of wounded people I’ve known living far below their potential and callings and kind of sighed.
The most amazing site among all of the amazing variety of birds present was a lowly chicken, sitting on an egg that was clearly not hers. That hen would have DIED trying to pass an egg that size. I asked one of the workers what was up with the chicken sitting on the alien egg. She laughed.
She explained that although chickens aren’t the biggest or the brightest birds on the planet, they have one incredible quality (other than everything else kind of tasting like them!), they are faithful to their unborn.
Many of the more exotic and noble looking birds can’t always be bothered to care for their unhatched young. However, the pea brained chicken will adopt most any egg, sit on it and keep it warm until it hatches. Chickens are faithful where others are not.
We can quote great verses about being eagles for God, or being beloved swallows that he watches, or verses about doves, even about unclean ravens that are yet used of God to bring provision when every natural resource is exhausted. For myself, I now identify with the lowly chicken. Others can go off soaring the heights and do their thing, yet when the day is done and we all stand at the judgment seat of God, I want to be found as one who was faithful even when others were not. May I hear, “Well done – not in the roasted sense, either – you good and faithful… chicken!”
Bryan Hupperts © 2009
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