A SAVIOR JUST THE SAME

Last night, Milton and Rebecca went out for dinner and upon their return home discovered a Brown Thrasher had gotten stuck in a mouse sticky trap. It was stuck from head to toe on one whole side of its body.

Milton picked up the trap with the bird and brought it in the house and yelled "Mom! We have an emergency here!" The tone of his voice said something was really wrong. I jumped up from scrapbooking, my heart was racing, and ran into the kitchen to find him holding this bird, helplessly stuck to the mouse trap. My first thought was "Thank You God! Nothing is wrong with my children."

Then, my attention went to the bird. I said, "Son, I don't think there is anything we can do, except put him out of his misery." He said, "NO. We are not going to kill this bird. I am going to get him off of this trap." He filled a bowl with warm soapy water and worked very carefully for hours to free the little helpless bird. He finally had to clip the feathers on one of his wings. After hours of working very patiently, he freed the bird from the trap. Then, he clipped the feathers from his other wing. The bird looked so pitiful with glue still on one side of his body and one of his eyes glued shut. Milton took his time and continued cleaning as much of the glue as possible from the bird and was even able to get the bird's eye open that was glued shut.

While Milton was taking great care to save this little bird's life, Rebecca (his wife) had cleaned a bird cage that we had stored in the utility building and had gotten it ready for the bird. Once the bird was finally cleaned, as well as possible, they put the bird into the cage, along with water and bird food.

Later, Milton decided he wanted to take the bird out of the cage and hold it. The bird did not try to peck him when he took him from the cage. He held the bird and stroked its feathers and let the bird lie on his chest. It snuggled up to his face and slept a while and then suddenly decided it was "time." He made a break for freedom. He jumped down and took off down the hall. He was moving with lightening speed, running, jumping, and flapping his little clipped off wings. He made it to the living room and was jetting all over the place trying desperately to keep from being put into captivity again. Milton took a hand towel and tossed it over the little guy and gently picked him up and put him back in his cage where he has been since.

He seems to be adjusting to his new home quite well. He woke Milton and Rebecca up this morning with a beatutiful song. He has taken a bath in his water dish and played in his food. As soon as his wings grow back he will be set free again. Milton did not save an entire world from their sins, like Jesus did, but to the little bird he is still a savior just the same.