Last week we discovered a baby bird barely alive beneath a tree in the back yard. After watching to see if the mother bird would try and care for it, and with our two dogs circling, we decided to care for the baby bird ourselves. Trip was elated. I warned that the bird might not make it, but he insisted that it be "his baby bird" and that he would take care of it.
First, the bird was named Jackson. But Trip decided that was too weird of a name. Then it became Mickey, as in Mickey Mouse. And after much thought, he named it "Baby Black Bird". Because that's what it was.
Trip fed Baby Black Bird from a dropper every 15 minutes and helped to change out his bedding every hour or so. He perked up and seemed like he would make a full recovery. It was all I could do to keep him from sleeping with the baby bird that first night.
Late the following day, Baby Black Bird refused to eat. Soon its breathing became slower and its movements weaker. I explained to Trip that it's really hard for a baby bird to live without its mom. We made plans to take the bird to a wildlife animal shelter nearby, but it wasn't open until the next day.
Eventually, the baby bird stopped breathing. It was really so sad to see this helpless animal slowly pass. But the hardest part was watching my sweet, animal-loving, 4-year-old struggle to understand death. He was so heartbroken. He had really grown attached to this baby bird and with tear-filled eyes kept telling me, "I just wish I could hold him one more time."
We talked about death and life. How all things die. I tried to explain in terms he could understand that even though our bodies cannot live forever, God has prepared a place for us to go when we die where we will have eternal bodies that will never die. We talked about heaven. A place with no more pain and suffering. We talked about Jesus. We cried, we hugged.
As I sat with the kids waiting for them to fall asleep that night, my mind was filled with thoughts of my own childhood and struggling to understand that my dad had passed away. I was 9 and it was such a strange concept to think I would never see him again in this life. I thought about my little sister and my brothers and I grieved for all of us all over again.
I'm always caught off guard when the feelings of that time of my life creep back in. But explaining Heaven to Trip was also a sweet reminder that God is good. Because of His grace and His love for me, I have an eternal hope. In this life there is death and pain and sadness. But there is a place where all of that disappears and we get to spend eternity surrounded by God's goodness and glory.
I was reminded of the song Jesus I Come.
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness, into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
- Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of earth’s sorrows, into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee. - Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair, into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee. - Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
