“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”
K. and I are birdwatchers. I recently contacted the man who does our local Christmas Bird Count to see if we could join him. If I had known who he was, I never would have dared to ask!
This kind man agreed to allow us to come along, as a training opportunity for young K. Little did I know that he had 60 years birding experience, and that he was featured in the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine in 1975 for finding a Ross’s Gull in the continental United States, a finding that came to be known as “The Birding Event of the Century”.
This kind and humble man spent an entire day alone with us, traipsing through the cold and rain, showing us how to use a scope, answering silly questions that he must have heard a million times by now, and dropping seeds of birding wisdom here and there along the path. It was our great privilege to spot several new species in this learned man’s company, and we will always remember that we were with him the first time we saw the Horned Grebe, the Common Loon, the Bufflehead, the Bonaparte’s Gull and the Forster’s Tern.
We will also remember that our loving Father arranged this gift for us. Why would a busy birding veteran leave his home on Christmas Day and travel through the night to spend a day birdwatching with a homeschool mom and her little boy? I believe it is because we serve a High and Mighty God, who turns the hearts of men in order to bless His children.
I confidently approached this important man because I didn’t know who he was. And yet, we can approach the Throne of Grace with just as much boldness. The Bible tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, and that should give us even more confidence to approach His throne in our time of need.
