03/25/2004: "Trading Treasures"

By Carol J. Warren

What a beautiful day it is today. The sun is shining bright and warm, the flowers are in bloom and the grass is bright and green. Everything seems to be so full of life. Oh look there is a robin red breast. I think his name is Stan. Stan lives in that very large sycamore tree over there in Widow Brewster’s yard. The tree is very tall with many big leafy branches.

Mrs. Brewster, and elderly lady would throw birdseed out under the tree everyday for Stan and his friends to eat. Stan really loved that birdseed. He thought it was the most delicious thing in the world. It was much better than having to hunt and scratch for worms and easier too. Yes life in the Sycamore tree was grand for Stan. Well he did have to fairly good sized problems to contend with every day, Tinker and Snatch.

Tinker was Widow Brewster’s spoiled cat and constant companion. Mrs. Brewster dearly loved the birds. Tinker her cat loved them too, for lunch. Tinker thought that the Widow Brewster put the birdseed out so the birds would come so that he could catch them and eat them. But that was not what Widow Brewster had in mind at all. She really was kind and sweet and just enjoyed watching the bird flit in and out.

Many times Stan had come within a claws breadth of being Tinker’s lunch. He was always lurking about here and there waiting to pounce on one of the unsuspecting birds. It is sad to say that some of Stan’s best friends were not as blessed to escape as Stan had been.

But Tinker wasn’t the worst problem, oh not by far. The worst problem was a big king snake named snatch. He would hide in the grass lying very still, looking like a big stick. He would wait until the seeds were scattered and then when some unsuspecting bird flew down to eat he would strike. First he would bite the bird with his razor sharp teeth and then he would swallow it whole. It was awful. Yes, many good birds had fallen prey to Snatch.

Of course Stan was sure that it was nothing for him to worry about. The Lord watched over him. The Lord would alert him if there were danger near. Stan loved the Lord very much. He really loved his comfortable nest in the big Sycamore tree. But most of all he loved the yummy birdseed Mrs. Brewster threw out. It was so easy to eat just laying there on top of the ground. Nope none of that hunting and scratching around for Stan, just good ole birdseed. Of course he had to keep an eye out for Tinker and Snatch but he had learned to listen and be watchful all the time. He had also learned to listen for the Lord’s warnings. Stan thought he was very good at listening to the Lord. At least that’s what he thought.

Sometimes when Stan would snuggle down into his comfortable nest for the night he would get this uneasy feeling like something was wrong but then he would just shrug it off. What could be wrong? He was safe in his tree where nothing could get him. Sometimes Stan thought he heard the Lord talking to him softly but it never made any sense to Stan so he would just ignore it. Probably just the wind or my imagination, he would think. So he would just go to sleep.

Stan often prayed for the Lord to protect him and his wonderful nest in the Sycamore tree. He would ask the Lord to get rid of Tinker and Snatch so he could eat his seed in peace but the Lord never did. For the longest time Stan couldn’t figure out why the Lord didn’t answer that prayer. Why would he cause me to live with such constant danger? “Oh well,” Stan thought, “probably so I will learn to trust him for protection and learn to listen to His warnings.”

As long as I’m up in my tree I’m ok. It’s safe up here, right? I just have to be careful when I am on the ground eating that yummy birdseed, that’s all. And Stan was sure that the Lord wanted him to have that yummy seed because He wants the best for all of us. So Stan just knew that meant that the Lord would give him special protection while he was down on the ground eating. Stan really loved that birdseed. He ate and ate and ate. He loved it.

One day as Stan was eating birdseed he must have gotten a little to carried away with his eating because Tinker almost got him. Tinker had a mouth full of Stan’s feathers but Stan got away. Youch that hurt. That was really scary, a little too close for comfort. “Lord why didn’t you warn me?” Stan asked, “You usually warn me. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a problem? Please somehow cause me to know if there is a problem. Amen.”

What Stan didn’t know was that Snatch the snake had been ready to strike at the same time Tinker pounced on him. They were both very frustrated and angry at not getting Stan for their lunch. They both began to scheme and think of a way to get Stan. It was just about that time that Stan began to sing and worship the Lord from his nest in the Sycamore tree. He loved to sing to the Lord but after eating all of that birdseed he was sleepy, so he didn’t worship very long. He decided to take a long nap even though it was the middle of the day.

Tinker saw it first, “Napping in the middle of the day huh, that means he won’t be watching. I’m going to climb up that tree and grab him.”

Then Snatch saw it. “How delightful,” Snatch thought, “A napping bird, I will just stealthily slither up the tree and grab this bird for lunch.”

As always when Stan was going to go to sleep, even if it was just a nap, he asked the Lord to watch over him and cover him in the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a good thing that he prays that too. Tinker was coming up one side of the tree toward Stan’s nest and Snatch was coming up the other side. What a predicament Stan was in and of course he didn’t even know it.

Just as Snatch was about to bite Stan’s head off, Tinker accidentally disturbed a stinkbug. Tinker let out a loud yeowl. At the sound of the cat so loud and so close Stan instinctively jumped causing Snatch the snake to just miss him. Now that Stan was awake and aware of the danger he was in being surrounded by teeth on both sides, he quickly flew off.

Snatch was so angry with Tinker because it was Tinker’s Yeowl that made him miss his lunch, that he chased Tinker all the way down the tree. I still laugh when I remember all of that hissing and yeowling. But to Stan it wasn’t funny. They climbed up his tree and almost had him. That was really scary. “Lord,” Stan said, “I thought I was safe in my tree. Why didn’t you protect me?”

“Who do you think put the stink bug in Tinker’s face?” The Lord asked.“