By May 2020, it was obvious Covid-19 wasn’t going away anytime soon. My husband, Peter, and I needed something to brighten our days under lockdown. Peter put together a raised cedar planter box for our deck, hoping flowers would attract some birds.
At a flower stand down the road, delicate yellow petals caught my eye. Behind them sat a plant with lavender flowers that complemented the yellow beautifully. “Sal-via,” the woman selling them said, pointing to the purple blooms I was admiring. “Hummingbirds love them.” I liked the idea of small visitors darting about, drinking nectar. We brought both types of plants home.
Every day, we’d look out onto the deck and enjoy the vivid arrangement in the cedar planter. The best part was the hummingbirds. It didn’t take long for them to show up and start feasting on the salvia. They brought a spark of joy I desperately needed. Being apart from family, concerned about what would happen if we contracted the virus…how long would this isolation and uncertainty last?
One morning, I glanced out the patio door. What was that on the floorboards of the deck? I went to get a closer look and gasped. There was a hummingbird with its tiny head stuck between two boards and another trying to free it by pulling its tail. I ran to fetch Peter, but when we returned, the birds were gone! I let out a sigh of relief, recalling the verse “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Those hummingbirds didn’t give up. Why should I?
Dear Lord, thank you for the strength you’ve given us. May we always remember how resilient we are.
