Lesson from smallest bird”

I was sitting in my car, waiting — I do not like waiting! — and a flock of birds fluttered up to me with expectant looks and frantic behavior. There were birds of all colors, including some with vibrant yellow eyes. I watched them display their pecking order and smiled. Just like people I thought.

Their chatter increased in volume and rhythm as they tried to convince me they would settle for the smallest crumbs of anything I had to offer. I especially noticed one little bird, the smallest of the flock, because the larger birds kept belaboring the point that he was least among the birds. Poor baby, I said as I leaned towards my glove compartment. Let’s see what I can find.

Voila! There was a package of two power bars! Excitedly, I smashed them up and threw them outside the window. That started a race for the crumbs! I noticed all of the birds except one rushed for the smallest crumbs as they pushed the little one out of the way.

I kept watching, hoping he would find at least one crumb. Then a funny thing happened. The smallest bird eyed a very large piece of the power bar and snatched it up. Then he quietly waddled away.

Meanwhile, the larger birds kept frantically scrounging for more crumbs, totally unaware that the best had already been taken away.

“Look at that,” The Spirit whispered, “all of the others settled for crumbs while one bird got enough to eat on all day. How many times do you settle for crumbs?”

It was like a light bulb went off inside my soul. God desires to give us riches beyond our wildest expectations, but we are living frantically in the moment and settling for what we can have NOW: mere crumbs, compared to what we could have if we but trusted in the character of God, our Heavenly Father!

Oh, God, thank You for the gift of this lesson. You not only provide for the birds, but use them to take Your children deeper in You.

(c) 2007-2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier.

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