The Trapped Bird

This morning, as Moses and I meandered through the garage on the way outside for our short, slow walk, I was startled to see a little bird fluttering at one of the garage windows. Now let me explain--our garage is completely open. We almost never shut the door (since it really doesn't work anyway), so the poor little guy had a humungous opening through which he could have flown right out into freedom. But he couldn't seem to comprehend that. He just kept banging against the window and fruitlessly fluttering up and down, desperately trying to fly right through the glass into the open sky. I think he might be one of the little birds that hatched in our hanging fern outside the kitchen door. It broke my heart to see him trapped and doomed and surely weakening in his continually vain efforts to free himself. (Moses seemed concerned as well--he's just that kind of compassionate dog, of course!)

My first thought was, "Where is your sorry Mama, little fellow? Why isn't she here helping you? Why isn't she showing you the way out of this mess?" No mama or daddy bird, however, was anywhere in sight. I tried to direct the young bird out myself, but all to no avail. All my hand motions, all my words of encouragement, all my pointing fingers did absolutely nothing. Moses was apparently not helpful in the least either. The little bird simply could 't understand a word we said or interpret any of our arm or hand motions. In fact, our presence seemed to alarm him even more, and he redoubled his frantic but fruitless, efforts.

Now, I do want to tell you the good news that my husband was somehow able to gently slide the window open, and the little guy slipped through to freedom. But here's the thing: what if I had been able to become a bird for just a few moments? If I could have become a bird, I could have chirped some kind in some kind of birdspeak explaining to my young friend that all he had to do was to turn away from that hopeless window and fly straight out that huge open garage door. Or maybe I could have just flown up to him and said, "Hey, follow me! I'll get you out of here in a jiffy!" Then we could have easily flown right out that garage door opening and out into the glorious blue heavens.

I couldn't become a bird, however, not even for a nanosecond. But here's the thing: our Savior did. He knew we could never ever in a million years find our way to heaven. We could never be good enough, never do enough, never learn enough, never accomplish enough, to escape this mess we are in and find our way to the joys and freedom of eternal life. Never ever ever. We are hopelessly mired in our sins, our habits, our selfishness, our pride.

And so the Lord, who made those beautiful blue heavens and those soaring birds, became one of us. He left the throne of heaven and became a tiny baby. He grew up and learned how to speak our language, experience our limitations, endure our pains and sorrows, and withstand our temptations. He died the worst, most humiliating death imaginable and three days later rose from the dead, all so that He could free us from our doomed captivity to sin and death. All so that we could know and see and follow Him into abundant, eternal life. We couldn't follow a bird or a book or a flaming chariot or even a God we cannot see and comprehend... but we could follow a man--a God-man, a God who became man for us.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for becoming one of us--one of Your finite and flawed creatures. Thank You for living a perfect, sinless life and dying a horrific death all so that we might know You and follow You and be freed from the entrapment of our sins.

And even now, when I start to bang against the windows of my pride and selfishness and self-will that say, "No, but I want it my way," thank You for never giving up on me. And for coming to me and showing me that glorious open door to true freedom and true joy and peace found only in You and Your will and Your way. Might we trust the One who came and became one of us so that we might find faith and freedom and fullness of joy.

To the Lord Jesus, who saw our plight, and in His love, became man and bestowed salvation on all who believe in His Great Name, be all the glory forever and ever.