Mere Sparrows

If you came into our garage, you would see CD’s hanging from the ceiling.
The CD’s hang from the metal arm of the garage door openers.
No one hits their head on the CD’s.
They are up too high for that.

The CD’s are hanging from a piece of fish wire.
The CD’s twist and turn in the breeze.
They are definitely a conversation piece.
No one knows why they are there.

It was one of our neighbors that suggested the idea.
It was out of frustration they were hung.
There was seemingly no other solution.
Hanging the CD’s was the humane thing to do.

We have had birds fly into our garage in the winter time.
Usually the garage doors are closed.
However, if they are left open for any period of time, it was an open invitation for the birds.
There are so many places a bird can hide to keep warm.

Inside a bucket that is on the shelf is the perfect place.
Inside the bin of the fertilizer machine is warm and cozy.
Perched on top of one of the snow shovels provides the bird a lookout of sorts.
Inside a large galvanized tub the bird found ample room.

I would never begrudge the birds a warm place to rest.
However, I have been startled one too many times.
A door in my laundry room goes into the garage.
As I would put my foot on the first step, a bird would fly past my face.

Especially when the children were young, we would find a bird in our garage.
The children would be outside playing and the garage doors would be open.
An open door meant an open invitation.
It was not until later as we went into the garage to throw trash away, we would see our visitor.

My husband wanted a humane way to deter the birds from flying into the garage.
A neighbor suggested a few ideas.
This idea seemed the kindest and made the most sense.
I remember the day, my husband hung the CD’s.

My husband purchased a spool of fish wire.
He looped a piece of fish wire through the center of the CD.
Holding the wire, the CD resembled a Christmas ornament.
He then looped the wire through a hole in the garage door opener in the ceiling.

Each garage door opener has an ornamental CD hanging from its metal arm.
When the garage door is open, the CD twists and turns in the breeze.
As the CD twists and turns, it reflects the light.
That light deters the birds.

The birds are afraid of the reflected light and will not fly near it.
People hang CD’s on their porches to deter birds.
Some hang CD’s near their patio as well.
Something so simple proved to be effective without harming the bird in any way.

Paul Harvey was a conservative American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. Weekday mornings, mid-day, and noon on Saturday, he broadcasted News and Comment.
He was also famous for The Rest Of The Story segments.
One of his stories was so meaningful.

Paul Harvey told the story of a religious skeptic who worked as a farmer.
On a very cold winter’s night, the farmer heard a thumping sound against the kitchen door.
The farmer went to the window to see what was making the sound.
He discovered that sparrows, attracted to the warmth inside, were beating against the glass.

The farmer bundled himself up and went outside to open the barn doors for the birds.
He turned on the lights in the barn.
He threw some hay into a corner.
However, the sparrows scattered when he opened the door and were nowhere to be found.

The farmer tried all sorts of things to get the birds into the barn.
He broke Saltine crackers into tiny pieces and left them as a trail to the barn door.
He tried to circle behind the sparrows in order to drive them into the barn.
Everything the farmer did was in vain.

He was an imposing figure to the small sparrows.
The birds did not understand that he was trying to help them.
The farmer was so big that he terrified them.
He wanted to help the small birds but they did not understand.

The farmer went back into his house.
He was frustrated that nothing he did seemed to work.
He watched from the window as the sparrows continued to hit the glass.
The farmer spoke out loud, though no one was in the room with him.

If only I could become a bird – one of them – just for a moment.
Then I wouldn’t frighten them so.
I could show them the way to warmth and safety.
A light began to burn in his own heart.

The farmer could not become a bird to help the little sparrows.
A man becoming a bird is nothing compared to God becoming a man.
A sovereign eternal being confined Himself to a human body.
How else could God truly communicate with us?

I will send My Son to become one of them – just for a moment.
Then they will not be so afraid.
They will follow Him.
My Son will show them the way Home.

We are like the little sparrows.
We pound on the glass in fear and frustration.
We want to come in out of the danger, out of the cold.
We need a Guide; we cannot do it on our own.

God authored His Word through the hands of mere men.
God sent His prophets to foretell the coming Messiah.
God explained through His Word what He was planning to do.
We, sparrows, could not understand.

Through His Word, there were trails of crumbs.
All the while the Truth was there in His Word.
All the while we, sparrows, kept pounding the glass.
With God the Father it is never a matter of, IF ONLY.

With God it is always, I WILL.
With God it is always, I AM.
God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to be one of us for a short while.
Jesus came to show us the way Home.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 5:15,16)

We have One who is like us in every way, yet was without sin.
Stop pounding the glass!
Let Jesus lead you Home to safety.
Stop struggling to find the way; Jesus is the Way.