Rescue attempt

One afternoon, I set out to take a short ride in my wheelchair. The weather was quite nice, so I rode along the paved path in front of our house. Even from a distance, I saw something further down the street that looked like a bird. As I got closer, I realized it was indeed a bird—and not a small one. I kept getting closer, but the bird showed no signs of flying away. Strange, I thought—something’s not right here! The bird of prey—a kestrel, as it turned out—was perched on its talons, didn’t seem to be injured, and turned its head in my direction. Since my husband wasn’t home, I called a neighbor for help. We decided to give it some time while I kept watch to make sure no car ran over the kestrel or a cat attacked it.

But even after some time had passed, the bird made no attempt to fly away. So eventually I called the wildlife rescue service, who advised me to carry the bird to the edge of town using a towel and place it on a tree. My neighbor carefully picked up the kestrel, and we carried it to a maple tree in our yard—since my husband and I, conveniently, live on the outskirts of town. There it sat on a branch, and we felt we’d managed to get the bird to safety. “Let’s hope that when we’re older, someone will help us too if we need it.” With words like these, my neighbor eventually turned to leave.

This is a surprising statement to me at this point. Jesus puts it this way: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, … Matthew 7:12 NIV

I know people in my circle who, it seems to me, put this saying into practice much better than I do—at least when it comes to practical help. However, in my defense, I must say that because of my illness, there are many situations where I’m unable to pitch in practically, or can do so only with great difficulty. But when I experience the help and care of others, I see it as a huge blessing and am grateful for it.

Yes, I want to keep my eyes open for opportunities to help others—to treat them with dignity and respect, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what they’re like. Because I, too, want to be treated with dignity and respect.