A Bird’s Eye View

During our walk yesterday afternoon, we stumbled upon this perfectly beautiful nest. Normally I would have missed it. But today, I stopped when I saw the flash of tiny white eggs out of the corner of my eye.

There it lay resting at the base of a tree, completely still, unharmed for the time being.

We went in closer for a better look.

All eggs were comfortably nestled in their original position.

How could this be?

Possible scenarios of what happened to these unborn babies ran through my mind: Did the nest fall? Has the mother abandoned them? Are they getting cold? Why haven’t the neighborhood cats found them? Who is going to help them? I certainly don’t know what to do? I’ve never dealt with something like this before…

In that moment, I found myself relating to both perspectives: that of the birds and that of the onlooker.

Sometimes we are the helpless baby birds. You know the moments. The ones you just wish someone would fly in and rescue you? Be aware of you? Notice you’re just sitting there waiting to be cared for and loved? These discouraging feelings often come when we’re faced to endure difficult trials. And in the trial, on the ground from inside the nest, the safety of the above branches seems hopelessly high. Too lofty. Too far away. Hopeless.

But then there is the other perspective. The bigger one, the bird’s eye view. I was able to see the trial at a distance. Being able to distinguish the current problem from the future rescue. Safety, from my vantage point, was only a tree branch distance away from my fingertips.

There are those in our lives who are willing to rescue us. For some, help is only a prayer’s distance away. For others, it’s calling upon friends and family. And for many, it is both.

At times, we need to be the ones doing the rescuing. We need to be able to stop, notice the helpless bird’s nest out of the corner of our eye, and then act. Sometimes acting is the hardest part. We often say as I did, “But I don’t know what to do? How can I possibly do anything that will help?” Regardless of how uncomfortable or underprepared we may feel, we need to act. For you see, those on the ground can’t see what we can. In most cases, we simply need to let them borrow our eyes, our more distant perspective. In doing so, we’re helping them see the difference between the immediate trial and the not so distance longterm happiness. We’re giving comfort and hope.

Every trial will eventually pass but how we endure it (from either perspective) is the true test.

Dieter F. Utchdorf said it perfectly,

“We would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, and truly see those things that matter most.”