UPSIDE-DOWN BIRDHOUSE

UPSIDE-DOWN BIRDHOUSE
By Lorraine Lanzon, Garden City, Michigan

Excerpt from ANGEL ANIMALS BOOKS OF INSPIRATION: Divine Messengers of Wisdom and Compassion by Allen and Linda Anderson, published by New World Library, Copyright 2003. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.

An upside-down birdhouse with a twig-and-grass nest inside sits in a tall pine tree in our backyard. In it, I see four baby birds. "Chips, chips," they chirp constantly, calling for their mother, who is out looking for worms to feed them.

Why is this birdhouse upside down?

In the beginning, the wooden birdhouse was positioned perfectly upright. I enjoyed watching small birds take up residence there, but I got irritated whenever I saw blue jays and blackbirds poking at the eggs inside.

Then one day a strong wind blew the birdhouse to the ground. There it lay until days later, when I asked my brother to throw it higher in the tree. He hurled the birdhouse back up into the branches, where it landed upside down with its entrance hole facing the trunk of the tree.

This position made the hole invisible to the bigger birds. The tiny space between the front of the birdhouse and the tree trunk, as well as the close branches protecting it on all sides, prevented the big birds from sticking their beaks into the hole.

Now the topsy-turvy birdhouse is in demand among the smaller birds in the neighborhood because it's difficult for large predators to reach into. It has become a refuge, securing eggs and babies in its nest while mother birds are out looking for food nearby.

Nature, via a windy "unfortunate accident," has provided the birds with a safe home. Our upside-down birdhouse serves as a reminder that, regardless of initial appearances, what seems to be a bad turn of events may be a good thing when we see the bigger picture.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

What do pets or animals in nature tell you about why "upside-down" experiences or "unfortunate accidents" might have been exactly what you needed?


Allen and Linda Anderson
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