This Sunday we were celebrating two of our nine grandkids’ birthdays when a thud hit the back window.  A small woodpecker had hit the window and lay motionless on the ground upside-down.  All the grandkids gathered around it to see the comatose bird.

I was inside and my first though was “Its probably dead. I may need to go raise it.”

But I waited for everyone to pile out the back sliding door first to go see it.  Then I followed them out as well.

Sure enough, there it was laying on its back on the path under the window.  My son said it was still alive because its eyes were moving.  But it was motionless and no bird just naturally lays on its back. 

When I kneeled down to observe it, sure enough, its eyes were still open and blinking.  Its life was still in it.

Reminded me of the story of Paul and Eutychus:

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. Acts 20:7-12 (KJV)

I said: “In Jesus name be healed.”  As simple as that. 

And as soon as I touched the bird, it grabbed my hand and immediately jerked itself around.  Its claws were sharp but instantly let go of my hand after it had uprighted itself and was sitting up in its right position.

I did not get a picture when it was on its back but here it is as it was just sitting up.

There it was sitting upright but not moving a muscle.  I gently petted it on the head and told it: “Its all right, Jesus has healed you.”  Some of the grandkids wanted to pet it too so I coached them to be very gentle and they were.

Then when I got up, it jumped about a foot away and sat there again.  It must have been the natural fear of man when I arose and towered over it.

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Genesis 9:2 (KJV)

After catching its breath, it jumped another foot and sat there again. 

Then it hopped over onto the dirt and then onto the nearest tree in its natural position.

Then it was startled by the grandkids that were coming out of the yard and moved around the tree.

Then it hid behind the tree,

Then it flew away.

I praise Jesus that He gave us dominion over the animals.  It was a great lesson for the grandkids as well as for my son.  When I told him afterwards what I had done, he said  ” I know.  I was there.  I saw the whole thing.”