My son parked his mower in an open ended shed for the winter. His ball cap slung into the seat waiting for the spring. As the weather warmed unbeknownst to my son, a mother house finch found the cap upturned on the mower seat. She must have thought it the perfect place to mold her nest.
As she brought twigs and pine needles, the grass grew. She found scraps of yarn and old mop strings and the grass grew.
The weather warmed and my son went to the shed for his mower. There in the cap was her nest with three brown speckled eggs.
The grass needed mowing. He needed his cap, though not a necessity. Would she return if the nest was moved? She flew into the shed and landed on her nest guarding it with her life. Gently he grasped the bill of the cap. She made a peck toward his hand. He lifted the cap and softly placed it on a ledge. She never flinched.
The lawn was mowed, the mower returned to the shed. Mama finch sat quietly on her eggs. Until one day the peeping of chicks came wafting from the shed. Another few days and the shed was silent. The little family was gone filling the trees with song.
January is Sanctity of Human Life month. Our country seems to have no problem valuing animal life. However, how much do we value human life? My son could have chosen to toss the eggs from his cap or simply throw the cap and eggs away. Instead he chose life. Instead, now there was life and song in his trees. He had looked for options to save life. It seems so simple but it’s really not as simple as it seems. Life can sometimes be inconvenient. It can be scary. It can be lonesome with a feeling of abandonment. Like the mother bird we need to defend life, human life with our actions. That doesn’t always mean endangering ourselves though it might. It means defending it with our actions, standing on a sidewalk, speaking with those who are making hard choices. It means speaking life in our churches, in our schools and in our homes, and not only with our words but also our funds. It means showing love to those who are hurting from wrong choices.
Are we promoting adoption? Are we fostering children in need of homes? Are we shepherding the moms and dads who are scared, weary, and confused? Are we, the church, the hands and feet of Jesus for the least of these? Are we supporting crisis pregnancy centers in our community?
I pray that one day we are able to look around us and see the world filled with children bringing laughter and joy to our communities. Sixty million little voices have already tragically been silenced. Sanctity of Human Life Sunday has two days this year, January 17 and 24, 2021.
Blessings, Gail Cartee
