Frustrated with feeding more squirrels than birds, we'd been brainstorming ways to keep the squirrels away from the feeders when Louis lifted the latch and we walked through the open gate, and right there in Alden's backyard were two bird feeder cages that looked exactly like what we wanted.
We didn't go to Alden's to see her bird feeders. We didn't know or remember that she had them.
Eighty-seven years old and widowed, cancer's grip had weakened Alden's otherwise strong frame. She was scheduled to fly by air ambulance to her son's home in Kentucky the next day, and this would be our last chance to be with her this side of Heaven.
I don't know why I'd never noticed the feeder cages before, but I didn't want Alden to leave without knowing if it kept the squirrels out. Do those feeder cages in your backyard work? I asked.
Alden's response had nothing to do with the squirrels. If there's food in them, she responded, and we all laughed.
I tried again later. I wanted to know about the squirrels, but Alden's answer was the same, If there's food in the feeders they work...and Alden laughed, too.
Encouraged to take the cages with us when we left, Louis loaded them in the back of the truck, but he took more than the cages home with him that day and it had nothing to do with birds.
Twice Alden said "If' there's food in them," Louis told our small group this weekend. I knew she was speaking directly to me, but it was a message for all of us. Like seed in the feeders, our lives will not attract others - our efforts to reach others for Jesus - won't work if we aren't filled with His love.
Linking with the lovely Jennifer...
{Photos Day 9/366} my Pollywog Creek backyard, a green painted bunting in one of the feeder cages
