Cute as a Button

Tuesday afternoon Joshua came home with a baby bird which had fallen out of it's nest. Actually another little boy had found the bird but didn't think his mom would let him keep it, so Joshua took it. He told me the situation with the other little boy's mom and I thought, And you thought your mom would let you keep it? Perhaps it was his faith in my good will that got me to say OK.
I remember many little birds and even a baby bunny that my mom allowed my sister and I to take in. How could I really say No to my kids? However, I also remember each of the little critters we tried to rescue died within 24 to 48 hours of our heroic attempt. While I admired my kids' desires to save this baby bird, I wanted to be sure they understood the baby probably wouldn't survive without it's mother. So I told them while I would allow them to keep the bird, I fully expected it to die within a day and I wanted them to understand this likelihood. They said they understood.
The kids got busy finding a little box and lining it with towels to make the bird's home. They went outside and dug up worms to chop up and feed the baby. A bowl of water and a medicine dropper would serve to give the bird a drink. They doted on the bird that night like parents on their new born baby.
Wednesday morning, the bird was still with us. Elizabeth left Brian with instructions to feed the bird during the day and even showed him the location of the chopped up worms. Nice, I thought, but it probably won't be long now. Brian reported later that morning, "The bird ate everything Elizabeth left. She was hungry!" (We call it a she, even though we have no idea!)

That night Elizabeth came downstairs, very excited after her shower. She said, "Mom, God told me Google!" Elizabeth explained that while she was in the shower, she was praying for the bird and she believed God told her to do a Google search about how to care for baby birds. She said, "Mom, we've been trying to do it on our own, and not following instructions. Just like in life, it goes better when we follow God's Word than when we try to do it on our own. We need to follow instructions for caring for the bird." How could I argue that?
So Elizabeth got on the computer and within minutes had found what she was looking for. She asked me if we had a heating pad, because we needed to put the bird in a margarine container lined with a paper towel and then put it on a heating pad. Check.
She continued reading and gave me instructions to go to the pet store the next day for food. Check.
Part of me was still thinking, This bird is going to die. But how could I deny my kids' efforts? So I said I'd get the food in the morning. As I was observing my kids with Button (She has a name now.) I was delighted to see their compassion. That night I prayed with them for Button. I thanked God that He saw her when she fell from the tree, and asked Him to use her and this situation according to His good purposes.
That night I talked with my mom on the phone and told her about Button. She reminded me of a woman with whom she once worked, who nursed a fallen baby Starling to adulthood. She told me the woman taught the bird how to find it's own food, and the bird learned how to fly on it's own. One day it met a mate, and off they went to start a family. I began to wonder if Button might make it after all.
The next morning I got the baby bird food and came home to feed Button. She's a good eater. I checked on her hourly and fed her whenever she peeped. I was starting to get attached. When I picked the kids up from school, I was the one eager to talk about Button.


It's Friday night now, and Button is still with us. She has pooped on me a few times today, but I don't mind. That's a good sign, right? I feel like I have a new born again - watching for stools and wet diapers to make sure she's eating enough. LOL! My kids have reminded me more than once that I thought she'd be dead by now. I'm happy to be wrong. I don't know if Button is going to make it, but more and more I'm hoping we get to see this baby grow up, and fly away when the right mate comes along!