Life is Precious, But Fragile

A few weeks ago, a cardinal built a nest in a large bush just outside our back door. The nest was just above where our dog Sammy spends much of her time. It has been interesting to watch the cardinals go about their attempt to raise a family.

There were three eggs in the nest and after a couple of weeks these eggs produced three very small birds. Can anybody tell me how this happens? That life can come forth from eggs is amazing. Well, be that as it may, these little lives grew quickly as the birds responded to the good things the parents provided for food. Each day we would sit on the deck and watch the adults collect food and fly back to the safe sanctuary.

In about ten days the little birds grew feathers and began to look like cardinals. We knew that they wouldn't be in the nest much longer. Suddenly one day the nest was empty and we saw one small cardinal latched onto the bush, hanging on for dear life. There may have been another bird or two around, but we only saw one. At this juncture, the parents worked even harder to feed this one open mouth.

A couple of days passed and we only saw one hatchling. Last night it was trying to fly around in the yard. It flapped its wings hard, but only got about three feet with each attempt. It was near the garden at dusk. I hope it made it to the shelter of the large pine tree.

A pair of cardinals worked hard and may have raised one offspring. Young in the world have a difficult time reaching maturity. There are so many obstacles that stand in the way such as cats, dogs, crows, storms, and competition from siblings.

Life is precious, but fragile for bird and humans. The mining accident in Utah that suddenly trapped six miner and collapse of the 35W bridge in Minneapolis remind us of how quickly life can be taken away. The people on the bridge who perished were at the wrong place a the wrong time. They had no warning whatsoever.

Let’s thank God for the gift of life and appreciate it while we have it. Since we don’t know how long we will live or how we will live it exactly, let’s endeavor to make the most of each day and live life to the glory of almighty God and in service to other humans.