Holding Hummingbirds

Today I was sitting reading a book when I heard a "thump" on the front window. Almost instantly, I realized a bird had hit so I went outside to investigate. To my amazement TWO hummingbirds lay in the flower bed. One of them slowly twisted with eyes closed and I knew it had broken its neck. The other one lay close by panting heavily. I watched it for a few seconds wondering if it too would die, then I slowly reached down and gently picked it up. Surprisingly, it sat perfectly still. My heart soared as I thought about what a rare thing I was experiencing. This small beautiful creature can rarely be seen at times due to its quick rate of speed, yet here one was sitting in my palm calmly. I wanted to take it inside and find my camera, but I was afraid it would gain confidence and fly around the house so against my desire to keep it, I set it down on the pavement and ran inside for my camera. Finally, after I took a few shots of him, he flew a short ways onto our wind chimes. Not a few minutes had passed when a rain storm blew in and I had to retreat inside. It has been a while now and he is still perched on a branch outside my window perhaps waiting to catch his breath while the rain pours down.

I began to ponder this beautiful experience and wondered if God had planned it. Though I don't have an answer I do believe that He was watching my encounter and smiling with me. I wish I could have shared that moment with my family, but I think somehow it was meant just for me. Maybe I needed to see that beautiful, rare things can occur in the midst of a storm. Or maybe I just needed a reason to smile.

Whatever the reason, I am grateful to say I held a hummingbird.