THE FIRE
An article in National Geographic several years ago: After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage.
One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings.
The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast.
Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live…
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings will you find refuge;…” (Psalm 91:4).
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THE BUTTERFLY
“I believe in angels. It almost destroyed me when my dog died. I buried him just outside my kitchen window; just to keep him near me. If I could just have a sign that he was okay… I set up a small cross over his grave. That night, I went through the house to lock up. I walked into the dark kitchen to take a last look. A circle of soft moonlight cradled the grave of my old friend. And then, a butterfly lit on the little cross and just sat there.”
My friend paused in her story and asked me, “Lucky, when is the last time you saw a butterfly at midnight?”
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BEYOND PRICE OR MEASURE
A man bought his injured dog – long time a family member – to the vet; the dog had been hit by a car. The vet told the man “this doesn’t look good.”
The man left, the vet went in to euthanize the dog; the dog raised his head and looked into the vets eyes. “Well, let’s not do it now; let’s see if you get through the night.”
The dog did survive that night and the others that followed. For two and one half months the vet worked and finally saved the dog who had had no chance.
The vet called the man back – the man had quickly bought a new dog to make up for his children’s loss. The vet told the man he had a Christmas present for him. The vet drove the dog to the man’s house, the dog bounded out to the amazement of the family.
The man grabbed the vet’s hand and shook it. “You’re amazing!! How much do I owe you?”
The vet smiled and said, “You couldn’t afford it.”
Medical people try, but Heaven – in the infinite tangle of its mind – decides.