A New Family Member

For some time now, the Lord had been speaking to me about adding another bird to my flock. I already had four and felt that was my limit. However, the Lord continued to speak to me about an additional bird, but was unclear about who, what and where.

Meanwhile, I've been aware of a family who received a cockatiel as a gift by a couple who bred her. The name given to her was Enoch. Wasn't sure if they realized the bird was a female but they liked the name because of the Bible character.

Over time, I had visited this home for Bible study which met weekly. I had been drawn to this bird that looked like she could use some enhancements to her habitat and would offer suggestions. I brought treats and maybe even a toy or two on occasion. But I soon learned that the bird would be finding a new home. I was saddened a bit but knew it was probably the best move.

So I offered to take the bird. Here she is in her new setting. She has settled in very nicely. She really loves her swing and her treats! Her name has been changed to Sweet Pea, and what a sweetie she is! 🐦

He Cared Enough about Birdy and for Sophie!

I awoke on Valentine's Day with a heavy heart. I was depressed over my bad choices and my many disappointed hopes. As I laid in bed, I was hammered with memories of some cruel injustices done to me over recent years. I wanted to die.

Then, I sought escape and picked up my phone to look at the San Francisco Animal Care and Control website to see what's available for adoption. I landed on Birdy, a pied cockatiel. I took a screenshot of the ad and emailed it to several bird loving friends, and got an immediate response from one of them. I was asked to go fetch the bird for her and she would reimburse me. At first I didn't want to do it but I phoned the animal shelter to see if Birdy was still available, and he was. So I headed down there, though I was slow at getting out the door.

I came with carrier and brought Birdy home a couple hours later. I cleaned a cage to house him since his nails were overgrown and I wanted to make him more comfortable. I stayed out of the room I had him in because of my weakness of getting easily attached. My friend arrived later with her husband to pick up Birdy. It went smoothly.

Later, I got an update that they arrived home safely and clipped Birdy's nails, and changed his name to Valentine. I thought that was honorable and would help the bird to make the transition in his new home.

Then, the following evening I received a report via email that read something like this:

"I had Valentine checked at the Vet today. It turns out his wings are a lot more damaged than we thought. The left side is completely unstable probably due to a recent fracture. The right wing is all beat up and swollen but more stable overall. I don’t think he will fly anywhere anytime soon. His feces are normal. He has lots of dust and debris in his nose. Poor guy needs good showers. His blood is lipemic which makes me think he must have been on a seed diet.

"On a funny note – when we removed the leg band it clearly showed the year 1997 ! So, whoever made Valentine 4 years young has not paid attention in math class.

"I moved Valentine in with 3 mellow females who treat him well so he can recover. He started eating fine tonight, comes up to the front when I talk to him and is definitely more calm than he was this morning. We will give him time and TLC. I’m sure he will be ok in the long run."

My heart was broken as I read this but realized that this bird's life was saved on Valentine's Day and his name change marks a real turnaround, a new beginning for him.

Then, I realized that God orchestrated this event and He wanted to teach me something. He showed me how He cared for this precious bird in a wonderful way, and that He is ever so interested in caring for me, even the finest detail. That touched my heart!

 

Then later on Valentine's Day, I received word that Craig was reunited with his lost cat Sophie who was missing for over a week. I had prayer going up for him ad his missing cat, and God answered that prayer on Valentine's Day. So it was a wonderful day after all!

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An update on Birdy who was renamed Valentine:

He lived a short time in his new nurturing home and passed away due to heart complications. Now he is pain free and grief free in the presence of the Creator. For that only am I comforted. It is believed that he received a poor diet of just seeds most of his life which is a valuable lesson for pet bird owners. Birds need a wide variety of nutritious foods to provide a healthy life for them, besides lots of attention. For more information on birdcare I recommend you check out Mickaboo's site.