A Kind Man lived in a humble, woodland cabin.
He enjoyed simple pleasures, and found forest life to be a precious thing. But of all the life in the forest, He loved the sparrows. The robins had a beautiful song, and the bluejays had royal feathers, but the sparrows had His heart. He loved them dearly, and they brought Him great pleasure. As He would simply watch them from the porch of His woodland cabin.
One Autumn evening, He found this Little Sparrow hurt in the woods,
crumpled on the forest floor with the fallen leaves. A mangled wing inhibited its flight, so the man brought the fragile bird into His hands.
The Kind Man tended to the Sparrow gently and with a passion for the bird it could never understand.
“No man has every cared for me in this way” thought the Little Sparrow, “No man has ever made me feel this safe.”
The Kind Man found many sparrows hurt in His woods, as it was not always a kind place. He would tend to them kindly, and correct the doings that led to their injuries.
And once the sparrows were healthy and new, He would invite them to stay.
In hand crafted homes the Kind Man hung only the best of trees.
He would allow them to enjoy feeders and birdbaths, placed out just for them.
Many sparrows enjoyed the Kind Mans gifts, but chose fly back to their familiar places in the woods, as they did not understand the sort of love the Kind Man offered. They feared the freedom they would concede in taking up one of His hanging homes.
But the Kind Man was not angry. He waited patiently on His porch, continuing to tend the feeders and build homes for the sparrows.
This Little Sparrow,
also flew away from the Kind Man when offered a home. Back to his place in the forest.
But the forest felt different now; carless frolicking, jumping from tree to tree with no true home. It felt emptier now.
This life, this ‘freedom’, was nothing, compared to the love he had just experienced. To the unconditional care the Kind Man offered.
So the Little Sparrow came back to the Kind Man’s humble cabin in the woods. The Kind Man was not angry, He was not smug, He only showed the Little Sparrow the house that was already prepared.
No matter how many times the Little Sparrow flew away from his home, no matter how many times the little bird fled with doubt or pride, the Kind Man never took down the birds home from the best of trees. It was always waiting for him when he came back.
“Welcome home, my Little Sparrow.”
You are worth more than many sparrows.
– Matthew 10:31
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