The Parable which is Gary’s Bird Box
Marlene Ablitt has lost her husband Gary. Yesterday, I gave her a call to pay my condolences. Marlene is doing as well as one could do when losing a life partner. “Can I tell you a beautiful story?”, she asked as we were about to end our phone conversation. “Off course”, I said. When it comes to soft target for a beautiful story, you could hardly do better than me, I think!
So Marlene told me about Gary, whom I never met and how he loved gardening. It was his passion and joy. So much so that the family insisted that his memorial service be held in his beloved garden at their home. She told me that a good ten years ago, Gary installed a bird house at the side wall of the garage to attract birds to his garden. For some inexplicable reason birds never wanted to make a nest in it. It hanged there unoccupied and forgotten all these years. Two days after Gary’s death, a bunch of friends came over to support her. They sat on the outside porch when one of the guests noticed that a bird is starting to make a nest in the bird house Gary installed so many years ago! Marlene said it brought such joy and peace to witness the birds finally taking up Gary’s offer of hospitality so soon after his death. It was as if the honored his memory by moving in.
Isn’t this story quite the parable? How much it can teach us about hospitality, sowing seeds and patience! What great meaning and legacy this small seemingly fruitless gesture of Gary carries!
Let us put bird boxes up. Yes, the kind that Gary put up to beautify his garden but also metaphorical ones. Bird boxes is any space you create for vulnerable ones. We put these bird boxes up by paying attention to people others overlook. By reflecting on how life looks like from another’s perspective and asking ourselves what would make their lives better and easier, by how we can inject graceful hospitality into our world.
When we do this, we are sometimes disappointed by the results. Some people take long to trust your motives because they have been hurt in the past. Sometimes we put up the kind of bird boxes that is not ideally shaped or appropriately placed from their vantage point. But what we do in love and appreciation of beauty is never in vain. In some way some time, sometimes only after we have left our own place here on earth, it bears fruit. And that fruit brings comfort peace and joy.
Marelene, we think of you and pray for you during this time!
Gabriel J Snyman
July 21st 2020