How Did That Little Bird Do That?

By Jerry Long, Minister of Pastoral Care

On the morning Hurricane Helene made its way through the upstate, as soon as Lynne and I woke up we went into our glassed enclosed back porch to see what was going on around us.  As the heavy wind blew and the rain pounded our house, suddenly a small bird glided into our backyard and landed on one of our birdfeeders. To our amazement it perched there without moving as if it was a cool, clear, windless day in the fall. As small as it was, I could not begin to guess how it could fly against that wind, let alone sit there unfazed, without being blown to the other end of Greenville County.

One week later, with electricity and internet restored, I found the answer. Perching birds, like the one we observed, fare best in storms because they have a special mechanism in their foot anatomy that causes their feet to hold tight to their perches even in high winds. Their feet are designed to have three toes forward and three toes back to grip onto branches. They also have a tendon in their legs which locks down tight to help them hold on, but interestingly, only when they relax their muscles. They naturally rest with their talons closed and locked, and only release their feet when they use their muscles.  Amazing! 

As I pondered the remarkable God-given ability of that little bird to withstand the winds and rains of Hurricane Helene, I began to reflect upon those individuals I’ve known and watched during my lifetime who have faced the winds and rains of various storms in life and have stood strong – not being blown about, not giving up, or giving in. What is the mechanism in their spiritual foot anatomy that enables them to hold tight to their perches even in high winds. Based on my observation, the spiritual mechanism is this – active, wisely placed faith that triggers positive outcomes. Let’s parse that sentence to help give clarity to what I mean.

• “active faith”
  • One way of looking at faith is that it is when an individual trusts in someone or something so much to produce a desirable result, that he/she lives as if the desired result is already a reality.  Active faith is not just giving intellectual assent.  Active faith is intentionally living as if what we say we believe to be true, is already or will one day be true.
• “wisely-placed”
  • There are those who say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe something.”  The problem with that world view is that it does not guarantee positive life-changing, lifesaving outcomes. Faith must be placed wisely – in something or someone who can actually produce positive outcomes that are most beneficial.
  • Unwise faith is grounded and rooted in subjective “truth” that is based on the whims and preferences of the individual or on the culture that surrounds him or her.  Wise faith is built upon true Truth – on that which conforms to reality. Only faith based in God and on His truth produces the best possible results, by the best possible means, for the most possible people, for the longest possible time.² That is because His truth is rooted and grounded in His character (i.e., He is good, kind, loving, wise, holy, righteous, just, merciful, and gracious), in His purposes, and in His power to fulfill those purposes.
• “triggers positive outcomes” –Wisely placed faith that works will generate and produce positive outcomes. For example:
  • Wisely placed faith grounded in the truths of God and His irrevocable promises will trigger courage in the face of fear.
  • Wise faith grounded in the truths of God and His irrevocable promises will trigger confidence and peace in the face of worry and anxiety.
  • Wise faith grounded in the truths of God and His irrevocable promises will trigger genuine hope in the face of hope-so hope.
  • Wise faith grounded in the truths of God and His irrevocable promises will trigger strength that will enable us to stand strong against whatever winds and rain life throws at us.

God’s Truth confirms this in Romans 8:31-37 (ESV) – ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

¹Summary of online articles by AI Overview, and All About Birds, What Do Small Birds Do in a Storm?

²Chip Ingram, God as He Longs for You to Know Him, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2004), p.128.