Free as a Goldfinch

Purple thistles, various yellow wildflowers, and brown burrs flanked the trail my husband and I hiked last Saturday. As we walked and admired the late summer colors, a patch of black, yellow, and white caught my eye. I stopped to look more closely and realized it was a goldfinch! She didn’t move except for her head: She was stuck on a branch! 

I slowly stepped toward her and then hesitated. Should I touch her? I looked closer and saw that both feet and one wing were stuck on the burrs. I had to try to help her. Talking to her in a soothing voice, I carefully held her wing between my thumb and forefinger and gently pulled the burr away from it…and it came free! She didn’t move – she was probably terrified! Her legs were so tiny; I held first her left foot and then the right while gently pulling burrs off of them, all the while talking to her. 

I cradled her silky-soft body in my cupped hands for just a few seconds before she realized she was free. In a flash she flapped her wings and flew off erratically, anxious to get away. I watched her with an indescribable feeling of joy as she flew faster and higher, way up above us, eager to get back to her family and friends. I imagined she had quite a story to tell!

Sometimes we, too, get stuck, though not physically. We get stuck in our selfish or sinful ways. We have weaknesses we fall prey to. Regret and remorse may stick in our minds and hearts and keep us spiritually paralyzed, kind of like the goldfinch was stuck and couldn’t fly. 

That little bird needed someone to free her from the burrs. Christ is the Someone Who has the power to free us from our sins and burdens of guilt.

Christ’s love and mercy are stronger than the voice of shame that Satan whispers in your ear. Go to Christ and pour out your heart to Him. Admit that you are stuck in ways that aren't His loving ways. Ask Him for His mercy and forgiveness. Acknowledge that you need His power to set you free from these sins. Let His power and grace make you “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Let Him give you the courage to fly away from the traps you keep getting stuck in. The Sacrament of Reconciliation was given to us exactly for this purpose.

Remember: You are loved, you are forgiven, and you are free to live again in the joy of His loving embrace. 

“For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting.” - Psalm 100:5

 

“Lord, I need You to set me free!”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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P.S.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

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P.P.S. If you’re able to help the people of Maui, here are a few organizations that are accepting donations:

The Hawaii Community Foundation 

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