The Bird is Back in Town

Three of my friends, Dee, Jennifer, and Denise, and I are getting ready to do a retreat this coming weekend in Dana Point. (We would LOVE your prayers!) At times, in the craziness of life and the sixteen children between the four of us, it can feel a bit out of control. And as the retreat gets closer and closer, I begin to wonder, "Am I crazy to be trying to write my talks? Is it too much to try to do this while the kids are all still at home and my husband is in Africa? God, are you hearing my prayers? Are you really such a God of details that you will give me every word to say, and bring exactly the women you desire to be there?

And then, something like the Bird Story occurs, and I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that He does care, that He is present, and that He oversees every single detail.

A week ago, Friday, my son's friend's family lost their cockatiel bird. They had forgotten to close the door on the cage and the bird, Sunshine, had not had its wings clipped in a while. So, Sunshine found her way out of the cage and flew to their front yard and across the street. They tried to catch her and were within a couple of feet when she flew out of reach.

Fast forward to six days later when their son, Connor, my son, James, and another friend were walking to the park near my house. We live about a mile away from the bird's home. As they arrived at the park, James happened to notice a bird fly above his head and into a tree. For some reason, she caught his eye because she looked like a household bird and not a bird of the wild. He turned to Connor and said, "Connor, is that your bird - Sunshine?" Connor could not believe it. There she was, sitting right up on a branch in a tall tree.

The boys eventually caught Sunshine with their bare hands. Connor held onto the bird while James called Connor's mom. James asked her to please bring a cage, but the mom thought James was teasing. So, she drove up in her SUV and James asked, "Do you have the cage?" She said, "No - I thought you were joking!! I can't believe you found Sunshine!" And the bird finally made it safely home that day while fluttering around their SUV.

Do you believe God is a God of details? What are the chances that the housetrained bird could survive in the wild for a nearly a week, not get eaten by hawks, and be able to be caught with bare hands? I'm so glad that God is detailed and that He is not a God of chance. I am thankful that somehow He will pull together this retreat in a way that will bring glory to Him because "when I am weak, He is strong" and "not even a sparrow can fall to the ground without His knowledge."

Dear Lord,

We praise you that you are a God of details. Thank you for caring for the little things in our lives. Thank you that you care so much for your children, that not a detail about our lives escapes you.

Today's Bargain Tip: The Purpose Driven Connection Magazine

Rick Warren has a new magazine available that costs only $20 for four issues annually. You can save $20 by subscribing for the magazine because a single issue will cost you $10. He is also providing a DVD of his small group curriculum, "Wide Angle", that he filmed with Chuck Colson regarding a Christian worldview. It also comes with the text for the six week study, inserted in the magazine. Such a deal!

Now go and enjoy every moment!

Kim