We have recently had scaffolding up outside our house (again), as our chimneys needed repainting. When he climbed up the ladders to start the job, our decorator found a family of jackdaws nesting in one of the chimneys. Fortunately, this is a “redundant” chimney so there was no debris in our fireplace. The chimney was too tall to look in directly, but the sound of hungry chicks could be heard and the parent was seen circling above the decorator’s head. There were no major repairs needed to the chimney so that job was swiftly done.
The question then remained what to do about the chimney and the chicks?
The scaffolding was booked to be in place for up to 6 weeks and the painting job was completed within a week of it being erected. The decorator was reluctant to try and remove the birds until they were ready. We therefore waited until there were no signs of birds “toing and froing” from the chimney pot.
Have you ever been surprised by strangers in your midst? How welcoming are we really?
Hebrews 13:2 says “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
I’m not suggesting that our family of jackdaws were angels – although they were perhaps nearer to heaven than me!
Often, we come across people who surprise us, we are given opportunities to help in simple ways, and we are called to respond with patience, understanding, compassion, and love.
Confirmation that the chicks had fledged was made by my husband (bravely) climbing up the ladders, and a cover was duly placed over the chimney to prevent further squatters.
Prayer: Generous and loving God, help us to respond to the person in need with a loving and compassionate heart, help us to be patient and tolerant of differences in culture or language, and help us to act with unconditional kindness. Amen