MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR ONE

Before I share this tender-hearted story, I thought it best to introduce “pictorially” the wee sweetie I’m writing about.  Yes, it’s a true story of my all-season friend.   I’ve named her Anna.  It’s a most appropriate name because she is an Anna’s Hummingbird. 

Anna and I met about two years ago.  We had moved to Surrey, British Columbia and lived near the USA and Canadian border.  We hadn’t lived in our home long before I noticed the frequency of hummingbirds in the area. 

 One of the first boxes I unpacked was my yard box which contained my hummingbird feeder.   It didn’t take me long to prepare the dining cuisine of sugar and water (l part sugar to 4 parts water…in case you would care to join the buffet preparations for hummingbirds in your area) and locate just the right spot in our little yard. 

This newly placed feeder must have been hung in the flight path of the bird buffet line as it didn’t take a day for this Anna’s hummingbird to find a brand new source of nutrition for herself.  I made sure that in the warmer months, the feeder was cleaned and refilled with fresh liquid refreshment each week.

It was late spring when all this food attraction was placed in our yard.  My husband and I would enjoy a cup of tea or a latte early in the morning, and with the lovely morning sunshine, we enjoyed our cuppa while sitting out on the patio.  It wasn’t long before we’d notice a visitor.   She would announce her arrival with wee beeping chirps that hummingbirds make.  Just for the fun of it, I responded with similar sounds.    My imitation sounds weren’t the best, but this little hummer (as I called her), would respond and beep her chirps back to me.  My husband and I laughed and adored her presence as she partook of her morning “sweets.”

Throughout the day I found myself looking out to see if she was near the feeder.   Near the feeder???  Are you kidding, she was perched comfortably next door in a ten foot tree overlooking her new “in and out” diner.’ 

This time of year invited me outside often and I would indulge in a cup of tea or an iced tea and I would observe this little bird eating about ten times in an hour out of the feeder.   I couldn’t believe the liquid intake of such a tiny bird.  She is about 1 ½” long and simply adorable.  

This feeding frenzy went on for most of the summer and into the fall.   After that, I assumed she flew southward like most other birds.   Just this year when October came around, I noticed she was still eating regularly and so I keep doing the cleaning and refilling of the feeder, thinking that soon she would be heading south for the winter. 

I was wrong!   She decided to stay-it-out up north.  Things were going along as normal until the temperatures began to drop.  I phoned the Hummingbird Society in Arizona and checked the internet to see how I could provide a winter diet for this gorgeous fine-feathered friend.

Now before I continue you must promise me that you won’t turn me in to the “men in the white coats.”    They know about me already, and are not interested.   I’m simply beyond their help.

I was instructed to make sure that the contents of the feeder did not freeze.   This moved me to my next purchase which was another hummingbird feeder.   Yes, now I have two.  One is to be placed out early in the morning, after the sun comes up.   The other feeder remains inside (where it can be room temperature).   If it’s really cold and the contents of the outside feeder are beginning to form ice, I bring it inside and put out the other feeder.   This way there is no problem of freezing the liquid food.

An idea came to me via the internet to aid keeping the feeder warmer.   I had a pair of fuzzy socks.  I took the socks and cut off the toe part and then placed both socks over the first feeder I put outside in the morning.   This discovery proved to be a wonderful solution.   Even at 25 degrees during the daytime, the feeder would not freeze.

To be honest, I wondered if this bird would be nervous about a new item on the food buffet being gift wrapped with socks.   The following morning I placed the “new little diner” on the hook.  No problem … she got stuck right into the food.   There is nothing wrong with her appetite.

It’s winter for sure, so maybe I’ve been inside too long, but I had another idea.   On the wrought iron fencing around our raised patio I place stringed Christmas lights…the real tiny ones.   I also moved the feeder to just right outside our back door.    This little gal LOVES HER BUFFET selection, so I knew she wouldn’t be bothered that I moved it a little closer so we could see her in action more clearly.   It also was hung in a safe environment away from any predator and shown beautifully in the winter sunshine.

What I haven’t disclosed is that I was secretly wondering if she would enjoy the Christmas lights.   No, not to view, but to sit around and be warmed by the lights.   By now, you might be considering the men in the white coats again, but I can assure you that my sanity is just fine. 

Just the other day I kept looking out to see where in the world she had disappeared to.    There were two feeders for selection in the yard, one by the fence about 30 feet from our back door, and the other just 1 ½ feet from the door.   I kept looking at both feeders and she was nowhere to be found.

As my eyes jumped from one feeder to the other, I neglected to see the obvious.   She was now perched ON TOP OF A CHRISTMAS LIGHT!    Yes, you’re reading correctly.   Then she moved to arrange herself in the middle of about six lights.  This was keeping her warm.  She simply had to lift herself away from the lights and fly only a foot and a half to her feeder and back again.  She has this new feeding arrangement down to an art.

With close observation, I’ve found her daily routine to be the following:  

–        Arrival at her tree perch between 7:45 – 8:00 am

–        Glance over to see the Christmas lights in the “on” position

–        She fluffs her feathers and continue glancing to the buffet

          chef (located inside)

–        When the chef notices her arrival, she comes outside with the dining cuisine container, topped off with warm socks

–        Chef returns to place the second feeder by the fence (this feeder is right across from “Anna’s” tree limb)

–        As the chef (that’s me) leaves the feeders, she calls out “Anna” and makes wee hissing sounds to notify Anna that breakfast is now being served in the main dining areas

–        Anna responds back to the chef with her wee sounds…as if      to say thank you

–        Chef enters the house to go undercover for the day

–        About 10 minutes later, Anna flies over for several sips of delight

–        About 9:00 am Anna decides to perch on a “Christmas light” which keeps her warm.  Sometimes she tires of that one location and then moves to the center of about 6 lights….where she’s very toasty for the day.  Sometimes she adds a little exercise to her routine and swings on the light cord that dangles in mid-air

–        At 4:25 pm she exits her Christmas light, heads for the closest feeder and drinks for about a full minute to stock up for the night to go into her torpor state.

Then…….she takes off for the entire night in a local tree and goes into torpor state where the body reduces to a very low temperature.   The nourishment that she’s had all day, and especially at the 4:25 feeding provides enough warmth for the tree trip and to cuddle down for the night.  This same routine begins every morning. 

I know this is a blow-by-blow detail, but it’s incredible how God has not only designed this little sweetie, but placed within her the ability to reduce her body temperature so low, then come alive and alert the following morning.  How great is the majesty of God, the Creator of all things, Who goes to this tiny detailed extent, to display His creative touch not only in our world, but in our lives as well.  If we would just “invite Him into our life.”  What a difference He longs to make in each of us if we would just “invite Him into our life.”

This isn’t the end of the story, but the beginning of realizing that little things we do can make a “great impact” on another, regardless of their size, nationality, color or design. 

We cannot help everyone, or touch the life of thousands, but God designed each of us to come to know Him, our Creator, and then be used by Him in meaningful and personal ways to make a difference in the life of another.

This little feathered friend has brought to “light” that I can’t help or make a difference in the life of everyone…….but, I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO ONE!

Each day, let’s ask God to help us be alert to the “one” that He would have us encourage, help, show a kindness to, or listen to.  You never know, we CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE in our world.

I couldn’t help but show another photo of little Anna.  Look close under her lower tummy, you’ll see a tiny Christmas light.

The Christmas light is right under her lower tummy just above her tail!