So, I got up early this morning, as is my routine, watching the sun break into the day and admiring my freshly cut, nicely manicured backyard. We have this big, fat robin that sits on the fence and oversees the yard every morning. Actually, he is a pig and just wants all the worms for himself. I’m not kidding, I watch that thing drive off other birds and eat like 10 worms a minute!

As I’m pondering the scene (I’m feeling particularly reflective and creative this week for some reason), I am reminded, of all things, about Matthew 6:26 and how valuable I am to God. I was remind of how my heavenly Father cares for and feeds the birds, and as I watch this little guy scarfing down worms, I realize, I am much more important than the birds!

So I get in my truck after the kids get off to school and I’m headed in to work on my sermon this weekend. I’m feeling pretty good after my reflection on Matthew 6:26, when all of a sudden, I see a robin cross the road in front of me. Now, there are birds all over the place, and many times, simply crossing the road. Nothing out of the ordinary, they usually just fly off as a car approaches. But this guy is waiting until the last minute.

As my brain starts processing this, I realize he is not flying away! There is a curb to my left… I’m trying to check the right lane… is there a car in my blind spot? Decide what to do, NOW! So I  move toward the curb so that the bird goes under the middle of my car, and at least has a chance! As I look in the rear view mirror, what do I see? Feathers. They are floating all in the air, and I see this little bird-body laying in the middle of my lane.

I don’t know… I’m probably over thinking this. I’m for sure writing about it to soon. It just happened and I haven’t really processed through it. Or should I process through it at all? It’s a goofy bird. It’s like a flying rodent that eats insects!

What does the Bible say: 48 times the phrase “birds of the air” appears, I know that God cares for them, and I had just experienced a devotional thought at the crack of dawn with one. Okay, I can’t ignore it, so this is what I came up with:

Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. Here is the bad news – the bird died, and oh yea, you and I are going to die too. But death is only temporary, and here is the good news – we have the assurance of heaven and eternal life through faith in Christ!

The bird was cared for, until his life ended. How much more will God care for me until my life ends! We might not always feel good about the timing and method of death, and I think that is okay. But this we know: death is certain, but while we are alive, God loves us, cares for us, and provides for all of our needs in Christ Jesus – thanks be to God (and for the birds of the air)!

Hey, you know what… I never thought about the worm that died when it got eaten by the bird. Hummm…