L ook there !” we exclaimed to gether, pointing to a little bird on her nest. When we discovered her, we had been admiring the long spikes of blossoms, growing shoulder high in the giant orchid bush. The bird was barely hidden among the leaves and sheaves of the blooms. Out she flew, revealing her treasures, three tiny eggs. “Well, Mrs. Bird, you must know where you want to raise your babies, but why did you choose such a public place?” It seemed to us that the Sing apore Botanic Gardens, visited by thousands of people, did not offer the privacy, nor the security that this expectant mother should have. “With no umbrella and only a few leaves and flowers over your head, what do you do when it rains?” Mrs. Bird fluttered about and left us to answer our own questions, as we walked across the road to our home at the China Inland Mission head quarters. Only a day or two afterward we were in our room overlooking the gardens when “ Swish!” a sharp breeze puffed at us. The air whirled with leaves flung from our big trees as they clapped their branches together like noisy hands. Suddenly the sky grew dark, darker, then black! The roar of falling water came rushing toward us. The heavens, crashing with thunder and lightning, broke into floods of water. Already rain poured in through our open windows SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES September is the month when school bells will ring again calling boys and girls back to school. God's Word speaks of many things which are associated with school and the class room. Fill in the following blanks with the correct letters and you will have a list1 of some of these things. The list of Bible references will help you for the words are found in these Bible verses: s .. ............... 1 Chn. 25:8 ............E _ .. II Kings 22:14 P _ ...................... Acts 25:23 T . .. ............ 1 Tim. 1:7 .. E .. III John vs. 13 .................. M .............. Gal. 3:24 B . ........ Neh. 8:8 .. E .. ............ Neh. 8:8 .. R , .. .. Il Thess. 3:17 even before we hurriedly could slam the wooden shutters. Almost as quickly as it had swamped us, the storm blew over. Out came the hot sun again, beaming on a green fairyland. For some hours the earth steamed. The lawns were clut tered with fallen trees and broken branches, and roads flowed with cho colate-colored water.
by Carolyn L. Canfield
Of course, we were curious about our feathered friend in the Gardens. Sc we picked our steps through the mud puddles, swish-squash, till we got near the giant orchid bush. On our path lay a tree twisted from its trunk. We glanched here and there for the bird, thinking to find her mourning over her wrecked home and broken eggs. Then we spied her! We could hardly believe our eyes! There she was, in the very same spot, proud ly sitting on her nest like a tiny queen on her throne. She had outridden the great storm! We wondered why the bush was not tom to pieces. Seemingly it had only bent with the wind. And why did not the nest fall to pieces when the wind tossed it about? Was it be cause it was so carefully built? And we wanted to ask Mrs. Bird, “While the world whirled around you, why didn’t you fly off to save yourself? What are wings for anyway?” In re sponse, Mrs. Bird just blinked at us, bright-eyed. Probably her bird brain never even considered deserting her nest. But if it did, her heaven-given mother instinct answered with an other question, “What are my wings
for, if not to protect my young ones?” While the mother bird had covered her nest during the storm our great God had covered her, a helpless speck of His vast creation. Her heroism was rewarded in only a few days. When we next saw her she was hovering happily over her three new bare birdlings. Did you know that God in His Word even gave a special command about disturbing wild birds nesting? What do you think? If God so cares for His tiny, feathered creatures, does He not care ever so much more for you and me? The Lord Jesus said in so many words, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? and not one of them is forgotten before God . . . Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” No one knows bet ter than Jesus does hovt precious we are to God because He bought us and paid for us with His blood when He died on the cross. Now we must nev er forget His love and always say to Him, “ Therefore in the shadow of Thy wings I will rejoice.” ** *Luke 12:6, 7 RSV *‘ Psalm 63:7
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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