“Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.” Albert Schweitzer
SUMMER 1985
This is a true story of God’s providence. In these accounts, the messages were born on the wings of hummingbirds.
Barb’s Hummingbird.
“Judy, the neatest thing just happened.” Barb whispered as we left the altar at the outdoor chapel. “I’ll tell you on the way back to our cabin.”
It was early June and this retreat for women brought my friend and me in search of spiritual refreshment. I was eager to hear her experience.
Barb was radiant as she explained what had happened. She had asked God to give her a sign, a personal sign of his active role in her life, his protection for her. The prayer just left her lips when she opened her eyes to see right in front of her, a lovely hummingbird pausing for the briefest moment.
She and her husband recently became fascinated with hummingbirds. They watched a series of programs about them on public television and did additional research.
“Hummingbirds, when seen, are often mistaken for insects,” she explained. “So they are rarely noted.”
She became increasingly animated as she described the appearance and behavior of the birds.
I was very happy for her. She had her answer in such a wonderfully personal way.
My hummingbird
A week after the retreat I was to leave for a fellowship in Japan. My husband and two sons were delighted about my trip. Though we had never been apart for more than short periods, they made plans. My sons were looking forward to an all-man household.
The day of my departure I awoke early. Running out of things to do, I walked outside to get the morning paper. Our flower garden was lovely and I was thanking God for taking care of my family in my absence.
Turning to enter the house, I admired our hydrangea bush, heavy with blossoms. There hovering at the bush was a hummingbird! I knew it immediately because of Barb’s description. It seemed to remain longer than one might expect. What a lovely sign of God’s care for us! I understood.
The Third Hummingbird
Our fellowship group met in San Francisco and on the following day departed for Tokyo. We would be landing at Narita Airport. Our conversations were peppered with references to the newspaper accounts of yesterday’s bombings at Narita and on an Air India flight. Sikh terrorists were to blame. Still there was concerted effort by all of us to dismiss any anxiety, not wishing to spoil the joy we had at the beginning of our wonderful adventure. We assured ourselves that security would be even tighter.
In the air for four hours, we enjoyed getting acquainted. Then two Sikhs in the forward section stood up and walked past us. Conversations stopped abruptly. All the anxiety we had so carefully dismissed returned. Through whispers, we shared our concern.
But a long flight remained. We worked hard trying to distract ourselves from morbid preoccupation. But the Sikhs seemed ever visible.
Counted cross-stitchery didn’t hold my attention. Professional writing didn’t work either. In desperation, I thumbed through a women’s magazine. No story appealed to me. No recipe or picture caught my eye.
Finally, I selected a two-page story and forced myself to read it. It was a tender story of a daughter’s love for her mother. Written from the mother’s kitchen, the daughter was appreciating her mother’s lifestyle. The daughter looked out the window to admire a hummingbird at her mother’s hummingbird feeder.
A hummingbird! A hummingbird! My heart overflowed with gratitude for that peace which passes understanding. I studied the picture. There was a very tiny hummingbird. My countenance changed immediately.
God’s protection, ever-present, and he cares enough to keep reminding us. Thanks be to God!
More Hummingbirds
The Sikhs were walking through the plane again. The colleague sitting in front of me turned to share her worry. We talked for a minute, then I began the story of the hummingbirds.
“Do I have a surprise for you!” she exclaimed.
She had hummingbird feeders all around her home in British Columbia. Since we had been asked to bring photographs of our homes and families to share with our Japanese hosts, she had many grand photos of hummingbirds at her feeders.
We were overwhelmed with God’s providence. Again, answering prayers before they were uttered.
It was easy for us to have empathy for the Sikhs on our plane. May they know God’s Peace, too.
Coincidences? Maybe. Maybe not.
Judy Harris is well established in Northern Kentucky life, as a longtime elementary and university educator. A graduate of Thomas More, she began her career there in 1980 where she played a key role in teacher education and introduced students to national and international travel experiences. She has traveled and studied extensively abroad. She enjoys retirement yet stays in daily contact with university students. Reach her at judyharris1579@gmail.com