In the Palm of His Hand

By Hazel Holland

After seeing the movie, "Deep Impact" (thirteen years ago) I was emotionally drained and upset when I walked in the back door of my home. It was after 11 o'clock at night and the place was in darkness except for a small light I had left on over the stove.

Immediately I noticed the shadow of something small fly across my kitchen. At first I thought it was a butterfly that had landed on the hood over my stove. Imagine my surprise to discover that it was a little hummingbird! But how in the world did a hummingbird get in my house...especially at night?

My first concern was for the little bird's safety. It could beat itself to death trying to escape getting caught. So I stood still looking at it for a moment before I slowly began to move towards it.

The hummingbird seemed so small and so fragile. How could he ever possibly know that I wanted to free him and not harm him. But I think he knew because he let me cup him in the palm of my hand and very gently take him outside. When I opened my hands he flew two feet away onto a branch of wisteria that grew around my back porch.

He sat on the branch for the longest time, intently looking at me. It was as if he was saying, "Thank you for caring for me!" When he began to stretch his little wings, the tears began to roll down my cheeks because the Lord began to speak to my heart.

Since God knew the deep impact that this disaster movie had made on me, He used a little hummingbird to help me deal with my trust issues, and bring further healing to my heart. Because this little hummingbird had trusted me to take care of him, he showed me that I could also trust God in the most difficult of circumstances. I was in the palm of His hand!

(I have always loved hummingbirds, but after this experience I was compelled to try and do this pastel depicting their beauty.)