A Tender Heart
A tall, distinguished, white-haired gentleman and his beautiful wife are part of our church. Before church, Ray and I stopped by to visit some friends at the back of the auditorium. The distinguished white-haired gentleman (I’ll call him James) was talking to another man. Ray and I joined the conversation.
As I thought about how to describe him to you, I thought of Titus 2. Paul’s instructions in that chapter for older men fit James well.
Older men are to be temperate,
dignified, sensible, sound in faith,
in love, in perseverance.
Titus 2:2
That’s James. Imagine fashionable but comfortable clothes, an intelligent face, and a tall, straight back. Inside is a tender heart. Yesterday I got a peek inside it.
When Ray and I joined the conversation, James talked passionately about the hummingbirds in his yard. He had deep concern about one lone hummingbird. All of the others have migrated, he told us, but this lone female hasn’t left. He is very worried about her. He is afraid she is going to get to cold and die.
He said, “If I could catch her . . . ” I waited, wondering what he would do. “Put her in a cage and bring her inside?” I wondered.
“If I could catch her, I would buy her a plane ticket to South America,” he said.
James feeds many hummingbirds, but he loves each one — right now, especially, this one lone bird who hasn’t done what she is supposed to do — migrate to South America.
My respect for James soared. He cares about this lone bird. His emotion was strong. He told us, as we do in the South, that he was “just sick about it.”
“I didn’t look before I came to church this morning,” he said. “I didn’t want to come to church sick.”
My respect soared again. What happens at church on Sunday morning is so important, James’ relationship to God is so important, that he didn’t want to be distracted by thoughts about his beloved hummingbird.
God loves you so much, dear mama.
Are not five sparrows sold for two cents?
Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.Â
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7