Thump!

Another bird flew into our back door. Just last week a downy woodpecker took that same flight path with deadly results.

I left my computer to see who it was this time. There, lying on the second step, blinked another stunned downy woodpecker. Its right wing, reaching out across the step, made me think it suffered a shoulder or wing injury. 

I retrieved a dustpan and tried to scoop it up for a ride to safer ground, but it didn’t like that idea. It recoiled its right foot as if to say, "Oooh. That hurt my little toes."

I tiptoed down the steps, snapping photos as I went, but the bird was still too stunned to care. 

Somehow I had to get the bird outside our fence to give it time to recuperate, otherwise it wouldn’t stand a chance with Mac, our Springer, on the prowl. For now though, Mac was still in the house.

Not wanting to add insult to injury, I finally picked up the little downy and held it gently in my hand to walk it outside the fence. 

The longer I held it, the stronger it grew. I could feel its energy surging.

I opened the gate and bent down to place it in a safe, out-of-the-way, and sheltered spot, but its feet never touched the ground. The instant I opened my hand, the little downy flew. Strong and sure, it flew. On wings like eagles, it flew.

And just as the comfort of being held by a gentle, loving hand helped the little woodpecker gather its strength, God stretches out His hand to strengthen and restore me with the promise that no one can snatch me out of His hand until He is ready for me to fly.

Do you know the loving, protective, and restorative hand of God on your life? If you do, when He’s ready for you to fly, you can look forward to soaring on wings like eagles, too.