Look at the Birds of the Air

Major Ruth took the meeting on the 15.09.15 and the theme for the afternoon was birds. Apparently it is one of Major’s favourite subjects on which she is quite knowledgeable (She knew more than I do that’s for sure). She asked the ladies which were their favourite kind of bird, most said the robin, someone liked the African parrot and someone else liked all the birds of prey. When asked if anyone had any stories relating to birds there were quite a few ladies with a story to tell. June had once nursed a magpie back to health which she said whilst she had it, it would take the clothes pegs off the line as fast as she was putting them on. Dori said she had once embodied a tawny owl when she heard Beryl say that she had owned two, apparently they are better than having a guard dog, Beryl always felt safe whilst she had them, but the time came when she had to move into a bungalow and they couldn’t go with her and so her son took them to his home. As soon as the birds had gone poor Beryl was burgled. As a child another of our ladies said that never having seen a picture of a golden eagle when they went to a zoo and were told they would see one she thought they would be gold colour. 

Major Ruth had stories to tell us too of her adventures with birds, her family paid for a year’s subscription to the RSPB and she received a book with it about all the common birds in Britain. But she reminded us that when you look closely at these birds they are all different, no two sparrows are the same and she reminded us also that scripture tells us that God cares about the sparrows, He knows when one falls so how much more does He care about us. Matthew 10: 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Obviously we could not have a talk about birds without the song ‘There are hundreds of Sparrows’. The last verse which isn't in the video says:

There are hundreds of children, thousands, millions,
And yet their names are written on God's memory;
There are hundreds and thousands, millions of children,
But God knows everyone and God knows me.

All who are in Christ are God’s children and are valuable to Him, there is nothing He does not know about us and our needs. Major Ruth told us how the Eagle teach their young to fly, they cannot fly instinctively but have to be taught, so there they are on top of a cliff and they haven’t got a clue how to fly, apparently mum calls to the chicks who come to the edge of the cliff and then they’re on their way down, but mum comes underneath them and takes them back up to the nest, and so it’s repeated until they know how to use their wings and are strong enough to go it alone. What a wonderful picture of how God teaches us in our spiritual growth of course there is just one difference, He never leaves us. But He will carry us and lift us up especially in times of trial. Ruth reminded of the wonderful scripture in Isaiah 40:31.Those little eaglets didn’t try and go it alone they waited for mum, and the verse in Isaiah tells us that we should wait upon the Lord and not try to go it alone. 

Major Ruth talked also about the bird of paradise, and how beautiful it is and reminded us that one day we shall be the radiant bride of the Lord Jesus. We have a glorious hope and future nothing we have now compares to what is to come.  Revelation 2: 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

We ended the meeting with the chorus:

I know he cares for me, for me,
I know he cares for me, for me;
I'll trust my Father in Heaven
For I know that he cares for me.

We were all given a bird of promise, 

Major Ruth had cut out these birds 

and put a promise from scripture in each one for us to keep.