Comments on: Robin

By: Bene Diction

Bene Diction — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 11:51:36 +0000

God does use nature and it’s creatures to teach us, doesn’t He?
I’m grateful for that particular robin.
She was very much a reminder we live in a broken and fragile world,and that we aren’t as in control as we think we are.
She was a visible and beautiful lesson in our lives at that time.
God is awake.

By: irene

irene — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 08:43:02 +0000

Bene, one of my friends who is currently abroad just heard that a friend from uni died in a car crash a few days ago. He was 29 years old. She told me she was angry at God for letting it happen, so angry that she didn’t even want to talk to Him anymore. At the same time she became fearful that the people she loves may be taken from her at any time… it made her realise the unpredictability and fragility of life. I’ve never experienced the death of someone close to me, so I cannot relate… getting her emails, hearing her pain and anger and frustration, watching her go through that crisis of faith — I didn’t even know what to say. I still don’t.

By: Char

Char — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 07:39:48 +0000

Hi Bene,

Not long after Dad’s accident last year a mother duck built a nest on the ground near Mom & Dad’s house. It was a strange place to build it as it was quite a distance to the creek. Every day Mom would come home from the hospital to check the nest and see if the eggs hatched. I was sure that it was a sign from God of his presence with us through such a difficult time. About 7 to 10 days after the nest had been built Mom checked one day to find feathers and broken eggs, likely the work of a racoon. Mom cried. When she told me, I cried. It was as if God had failed us.

In hindsight I still feel very sad when I think about the whole thing. As I look back now, however, I realize that the broken eggs were a more appropriate analogy of our lives. There was and is no promise that everything will be well and whole and new again in this life.

On Monday of this week I saw Dad walk 3 steps using his walker. It is the first time I have seen him walk since May. The brokenness of his accident remains with us yet God has not abandonned us. Life is a difficult mix sometimes isn’t it?

By: Rachel

Rachel — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 07:39:25 +0000

I’m praying for you B.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 03:56:21 +0000

Good story Bene. We had a robin build a nest in a flower box right on our porch. It was so cool for the kids to walk over and see the eggs, and to watch how the robins would care for the baby birds. They grew a LOT each day. We went out of town for a weekend, and when we returned everybody was gone, except a part of one of the babies. It was really disappointing. I guess a cat got them, we’ll never know.

But I can sense your loss, because there’s something miraculous about it all. : )

By: Missy

Missy — Fri, 12 Mar 2004 00:03:11 +0000

I don’t think B.D. reaction was weak. Rage about injustice isn’t weakness.

By: RiverStone

RiverStone — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 17:43:46 +0000

We recently had a young bird fly into our window at the house. We tried to help it, but it ended up not surviving a day. My children were very disappointed, as was I. But I don’t know what I would have done had the poor defenseless thing been killed by a cat or dog or other creature. I probably would have been weak and reacted much like you did, and that’s without the added significance of your friend’s robin. Nevertheless, it’s a very powerful story. Thank you for telling it.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 16:49:46 +0000

Ouch, Bene. That is a painful story. It’s amazing how the smallest things can come to hold such tremendous signifigance, isn’t it?