 He
came to our home from some friends. He was hatched in their home. He
quickly won his way into the affections of all in the family. He never
said much. He just did silly things and loved to have his neck rubbed. He
groomed everyone's hair and loved to fly about the little trailer we live
in. His name is "bird". He comes to the table when momma calls
"who's hungry". Until we taught him not to, he used to take a
flying leap and go skidding across a dish full of rice. He will fly to the
kettle on the stove if we are not looking and help himself while everyone
else is eating at the table. He flies onto the table uninvited and has to
be commanded to leave and pushed away or he will get in any dish that has
lettuce, spinach, rice, bread. He will nibble on just about
anything. Once he took a flying leap and landed in a kettle full of hot
water. We were surprised he survived. |
  Just
like all kids, he does not like to go to bed. We open his cage door and
turn out the lights and have to catch him and put him in his
"bed".
We have a round hat on the wall given to us while on a mission trip to Borneo. It is the very one used by Jenny in this picture. He crawls behind the hat on the wall so no one can see him. He will sleep back there or pick at the straw with his beak and then we know where he is. Another favorite place is a hanging basket with a shelf. Both the cat and the bird fight over this perch. He gets upset if the cat gets into his cage "bed". He hisses and scolds. We have spoiled this bird and he thinks he is commander in chief. |
 With
warm August days, we have had windows and back door open and kept the bird
in the living room area. Well he slipped into the back and flew out the
door. Suddenly his world increased in size. He cried out in alarm as he
flew from tree to tree. He shook with fear as he sat looking down from the
60 foot tall pine tree. He was worn out. Where was his bed? He cried in
fear. The children were racing through the woods as he flew from tree to
tree. Everyone was in a state of panic. While running, Kyle and Jenny were
praying and so was mom. The seventeen year old son scrambled up the tree
hoping the bird would not fly. He was way out on a limb about 55 feet
above the ground. Kyle and Jenny prayed as they saw branches break under
big brother's feet and watched him dangle by his arms. It was very
dangerous. Rocks were at the foot of the tree. Landing would knock him
out. He feared the exhausted bird would take off to another tree but he
waited for his rescue. Scaling down the pine tree was not easy with a bird
in one hand and branches breaking under his feet. At last he was close
enough to hand the bird over to mama.
Once back in his cage, he took a long drink and then fell asleep for hours. The freedom was not what he really wanted. He liked the comforts of his bedroom full of food, water and safety except from his tormenter the cat. God answered the prayers of two young children as they prayed for "bird" and for their brother's safety. |
| When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Eph. 3:20. {COL 147.3} Christ has said, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24. "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." John 14:13. And the beloved John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks with great plainness and assurance: "If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1 John 5:14, 15. Then press your petition to the Father in the name of Jesus. God will honor that name. {COL 147.4} |
He is so funny
how he sasses the cat. They go round and round the house playing their
games of hide and seek. When Tiger was introduced to "bird", he
was a little kitten. "Bird" taught him to respect him by chewing
on the kitten and pecking and hissing.