Just a Starling...

My experience in bird watching usually includes a lot of, "Oh, that was just a dirty little gray bird."  Or, disappointedly, "That's just a starling...or a dove....or a sparrow."  I am not too excited  to have a starling show up at our bird feeders and take food that we hoped would entice the more colorful and less common species.  However, I had a different experience the other day as I got up from the lunch table and headed outside to our other fridge to retrieve the dessert.  I heard the most horrific screeching that just wouldn't quit.  Looking around, I noted that a sharp-shinned hawk had something in its talons on the edge of our property.  I came inside and, by now, Don was through with his telephone call.  He got his binoculars and said that the poor screeching bird was a starling--JUST a starling.  My emotions couldn't keep that in mind as for the next 10 minutes the hawk tortured the poor bird to death while it worked at eating lunch.  Don got his camera and went outside to get a better view than through our blind slats or porch railing.  

He was able to get closer--enough so that the hawk extended its wings in a protective stance.  It didn't want Don to have any of its lunch!

  It reminded me of the scripture in the  Doctrine and Covenants 43:24-- O, ye nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you together as a ^ahen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye ^bwould not!

 25 How oft have I ^acalled upon you by the mouth of my ^bservants, and by the ^cministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of ^dthunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of ^efamines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a ^ftrump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of ^gmercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the ^hriches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an ⁱeverlasting salvation, but ye would not!

While the comparison isn't really the same, it reminded me of another way the Savior uses wings to let us know that He will gather us in and protect us if we just choose to let Him.

It also reminds me that we're all precious to Him.  I'm sure He doesn't say, "Oh, that's just a dirty little (or big) gray lady."  And... hawks and starlings would probably be equal....