Hummingbirds...

My Mom said she just saw the first hummingbirds of the season in Georgia. I read that hummingbirds come to the Cincinnati area around the middle of April. In anticipation of their arrival, I have purchased a hummingbird feeder and am deciding the best place to put it so I can watch my favorite little birds.

Last spring, right after Kroger's General Offices had expressed interest in my husband taking a new position, God used one of these tiny little hummers to teach me a lesson. We knew there was an excellent chance that we would be sent to Cincinnati...away from, not only my friends and family, but also from the ministries I had help start in Jackson, GA. I was fretting over not being able to see what would happen to Life Choices Pregnancy Resource Center. I mean, what would they DO without me? I had been one of the three founders, then the chairman of the board, then the director. I arrogantly wondered how they would survive and was indulging in some self-pity that I would not be there to observe the day to day activities and to "watch" over them. Then God sent the hummingbird.

It was a rather warm day in late March, just as the wisteria vines were in bloom, and the janitor of First Baptist Church of Jackson opened the lobby doors to let in some fresh spring air. A tiny hummingbird had flown in and zoomed to the second story windows. By the time the girls and I saw him, he was already getting tired and trying to rest on the window slats which were quite beyond our reach. Rebecca and her best friend, Katy Jordan, stayed on the second story landing watching him so they could tell me when he got exhausted enough to start falling within reach.

After two hours, they came running into the youth room where I was listening to Michelle, DJ, and Madelyn practicing for youth band that night. "Momma, come quick!" The little thing was buzzing around the landing. When he finally flew very close to the floor, I threw Rebecca's jacket over him then gingerly picked him up. We all took the elevator to the first floor and went outside to find a place to let him go. But when I opened my hands, he acted like he was almost dead already. I laid the little fella on a large leaf of a gardenia bush in front of the church but he just laid there on his side breathing hard. I told the girls that maybe he just needed to rest and that he was too frightened but I knew from my study of hummingbirds how much energy they use to fly and how they HAVE to eat every few minutes when they are flying constantly....so I knew he didn't have the energy to fly away.

I went back into the church and told this to my good friend, Trish Jordan (Katy's mom). She suggested taking a styrofoam cup and breaking off all but the very bottom and mixing up sugar packets with water and trying to feed it. Great idea! I went back out with my little cup of sugar water. The little thing was still laying on its side with labored breathing. Rebecca and Katy watched in amazement as I cradled the leaf and bird in my left hand and tilted the cup bottom just enough to stick the long, slender beak into the sugar water. Even though he didn't even have the energy left to even open his eyes, he almost immediately stuck his pipe-like tongue into the water and started drinking. His tongue, however, was the only thing he moved; I was thinking how sad it would be for the girls to watch this beautiful creature die after all their diligence. Then, after 10 minutes, he sorta sat up and continued to drink and started opening his tiny eyes. My arms were cramping up from staying in the exact same position for 15 minutes. Without warning, he suddenly started flying! He hovered for a few seconds right in front of us and chirped at us several times as if to say "thank you", then flew into a nearby bush!

It was an amazing feeling! All three of us cheered. I told the girls we better get out of his way so he could hurry up and recover and get home ....he only had a couple more hours of light at best. But the girls wanted to stay. "We need to make sure that he is going to be OK....we need to watch over him." I told them that we had done everything we could do to help him. Our part was over; the rest was up to God now.

God had allowed us this marvelous little miracle...how many people get the opportunity to nurse a hummingbird back to health? But we could not expect to be there the rest of his little life. Our part was exciting but small. Later, I thought about how this related to my stint at Life Choices. I was given a wonderful opportunity to play a part in starting something meaningful. God had put me in that spot at just the right moment to play that part. How many people get to start and even direct a crisis pregnancy ministry? But, obviously, it wasn't my lot to "watch" over it for the rest of its "life". My part was over; the rest was up to God now.