Wings of Courage

I woke up to birds chirping outside my window this morning, nature's not-so-subtle hint that the feeders were empty again. After bundling up against the Welsh morning chill, I headed out to the driveway with my humongous cup of birdseed.

I scattered handfuls across what I jokingly call the "neighborhood bird café," which is just a little spot under our hedgerow. Job done, I scurried back inside to watch the show from my office window. What happened next made me laugh out loud.

The local feathered residents had definitely spotted my offering. They lined up along the top of the hedge like they were waiting for a bus! Finches, sparrows, and a couple of cheeky robins all stared down at the seed buffet, heads tilted, not a single one making a move.

Seriously, not one bird budged.

It was like they were all waiting for someone else to go first. The hedge-top committee just sat there, occasionally doing that funny little bird-hop from foot to foot, but nobody was brave enough to actually go down and eat.

"Come on, guys," I whispered against the window. "I promise it's not a trap!"

Then, finally, one little sparrow took the plunge. With a flutter of wings, he dropped right into the middle of all those seeds. He looked around, did a tiny hop, and then started pecking away at his breakfast like he owned the place.

You should've seen what happened next! Like bargain hunters when the doors open on Black Friday, birds came swooping down from everywhere. The whole hedge-top gang suddenly found their courage and dived right in. Before I knew it, my garden café was jam-packed. Birds appeared from places I hadn't even noticed they were hiding!

And all because one brave little sparrow showed them it was okay.

I couldn't help but see a lesson for us in this. How many times do we Christians perch safely on our hedges, eyeing opportunities to share our faith or step out for God? We see the blessing right there for the taking, we know it's good stuff, but something keeps us frozen in place.

The Bible reminds us that "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). But if I'm honest, I still hesitate more often than not, waiting for someone else to go first.

I wonder how many blessings I've missed because I was too chicken to be that first bird? How many people might have found their own courage if they'd just seen me step out in faith first?

All through the Bible, God uses just one faithful person to get the ball rolling. Noah built an ark when rain wasn't even a thing yet. Esther marched up to the king uninvited (talk about nerve!). And David faced that massive Goliath when everybody else was hiding in their tents.

When one person jumps in with both feet, others usually find their brave too. Your step of faith, whether it's sharing Jesus with your neighbor, volunteering for that ministry you've been eyeing, or just choosing to do the right thing in a tough spot, might be exactly the push someone else needs.

So today, let's ask God for the courage to be that first bird, the one who shows others it's safe to come down and feast on God's goodness. Trust me, whatever blessing you've been staring at from a distance is totally worth the risk!