A Bird Returns To Give Thanks


“Dad! Something is in the fireplace! I think it’s a squirrel!”

I was in my office and answered my phone to hear my son express these words to me. 

“I’ll be right there.” (That’s what Dads do. They come rescue their families from ravenous predators).

I arrived and walked in already wondering how I would catch a squirrel. I remembered Clark Griswold having to catch a squirrel in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. He was going to catch it in a blanket and hit it with a hammer. I figured I’d leave the hammer part out, and go with more of a catch and release method. 

I shined the flashlight in to discover a bird making all the racket. 

“Bring me a blanket.”

My son returned with the blanket/bird catcher. I gently opened the fireplace doors and reached in and trapped the bird. I wrapped him up, carried him outside, and released him. He flew off with incredible speed, but then the most unusual thing happened. From up in the sky he turned around and flew right back to me. He landed on the handrail of our porch, and just stared at me for a moment. Then just as quickly he was off again.

My son exclaimed, “He came back to thank you!”

The account reminds me of a time when Jesus healed 10 men with leprosy. One returned to give Jesus thanks.

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well’.”
Luke 17:15-19

I don’t know what was really going on in the tiny head of the bird that day, but we never forgot the day he came back. I also never want to forget to be one who comes back. May we always return to give thanks.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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