Wouldn’t it be nice to see a hummingbird right now?
I ask this question the night before we’re being hit with the biggest snow of the winter to this point.* “Yes, please! It would be amazing to see a hummingbird right now,” is the response I suspect that most of you are yelling! As I pondered what to write for this year’s Lenten devotion, I kept coming back to these small but mighty flying creatures. In past years, I’ve written about the great blue heron and its significance and symbolism in my life, so it makes sense that I share a story about how the tiny hummingbird has found a special place in my heart.
I’ve always been fascinated by hummingbirds, and my late mother-in-law fancied them quite a bit, so I most definitely notice when they arrive for a split-second visit on my porch. Typically, when a hummingbird comes close by, you can hear the soft hum of their wings, which beat sixty times a second. They visit flowers and quickly move onto the next, often flying away and returning later to discover where more nectar is hiding. The little winged beings sup from 1,500 flowers and eat approximately seven hundred insects each day. I’m in awe of the exquisite and extraordinary lives of hummingbirds.
I find that so many of us are like the hummingbird —- we go, go, go. We move so fast and try to cover as much ground as possible before we take an opportunity to restore. I’ve never seen a hummingbird perching on a branch to rest their wings, but I know that they, like us, must rest their little bodies (the average weight of a hummingbird is less than a nickel!) and energize for tomorrow.
When hummingbirds make a brief, yet marvelous, appearance in my life, they remind me to pause and remember that I’m a child of God whom He wants to serve and help others. I remember that my life shouldn’t be all about the go go go and the do do do. It must be about powering up my wings to do the work God wants me to do; but first I have to stop and pray and ask for His help in knowing what that is. I need to restore, to re-energize for tomorrow.
During the spring of 2021, months after my nephew Ryan passed away from leukemia, my sister’s back porch seemed to be surrounded by hummingbirds. Her friends placed huge colorful flowering planters all over her deck, and as the orange, red, and purple flowers flourished, many little winged creatures came to visit my sister.
She spent a lot time on her porch grieving, praying, and reflecting on her life and Ryan’s passing. There were times when she had multiple hummingbirds flying around her at the same time … it was almost as if Ryan was there to help restore her soul.
A flock of hummingbirds is referred to as a glittering, a shimmer, or a tune. God must have known that my sister needed to be “glittered” with Ryan’s presence and envision the shimmer of heaven’s wonder. Now, when I am blessed by a hummingbird visit, I say “hi” to Ryan, ask God to look over my mother-in-law, and remember to power up my wings in Jesus’ name.
After all, even thin, fragile wings can cover just as much ground as the massive wings of a great blue heron. We are small but mighty people who can do big things. Power up, but remember — especially in this Lenten time of reflection — to restore for tomorrow.
-Kristen Straub
[*Editor’s Note: this post was written at the very beginning of March, and held for publication until this morning. Hence, the reference to massive imminent snowfall. In case you wondered.]
Sudbury UMC Lenten Devotions 