Beautiful, Broken Thing
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).
I was walking down by the river the other day and came across a male Western Tanager on the ground. He had been mauled by a predator and was dragging a broken wing.
I gathered the bird in my hands—rough hands it must have seemed to the bird, reminiscent of the abuse he had already endured. I’m sure he thought he was in the grip of another foul, cruel enemy. He fought ferociously, screaming his defiance, pecking at my fingers until he drew blood.
But I saw beyond the fury to his fear. I felt his heart racing under my fingers, so I held him until he calmed down, and gently tucked him into my shirt. Then I took him to the Bird Lady—a woman who lives nearby and who cares for wild, broken things. She has healing in her hands.
It occurs to me that some folks are like that bird—threatening because they are threatened. They lash out in fury, an anger that cloaks a wildly beating, broken heart.
Would that I saw their heart as God does.
DHR
2 comments:
I too pray that God would allow me to see the true heart of people. Those who seem angry and hurtful are really wounded and scared. Wonderful entry. I really love this blog.
I know when my kids were little and tired they too would act somewhat like that frightened bird and I would hold them tight, they'd fuss and kick and then finally calm down..must have been the beating of my own heart they felt or the security of my arms..but they did calm till they rested...
what a blessed bird to have been found.....
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