The Pigeon
As told by Rev. John Brigmond
Two days before Thanksgiving my thoughts were mainly on the
fellowship my wife and I were going to enjoy with our family on Thursday along
with a hunting trip planned for the day after. I certainly was not thinking
about a medical emergency. So, I was shocked when Daniel, my oldest son,
suffered a stroke while we were having a
phone conversation.
Daniel manages a fence company for me in Waycross, Ga. He
was home for lunch and we were talking about an order when I noticed his speech
was becoming incoherent. I asked him to give his wife the phone and that was
when she noticed something was wrong. Susie, his wife called an ambulance and
it was at the hospital that he was diagnosed. I count it a miracle enough that
I was talking to him when he first had the symptoms and that he could get
treatment quickly. However, God had even more in store.
My concern about his situation led me to prayer and I asked
God to give me a sign that He was with me. I Know He is always with me, but I
just needed some tangible assurance. When I stepped out of my house to load the
suitcases in the car for the trip to Waycross, a single pigeon flew down and
began walking in circles around my feet. I thought this was unusual behavior
for a pigeon and wondered if he might be injured. I reached down to pick up the
bird, but he would not allow me to touch him. Yet, he continued close beside me
as I went to the other side of the car and to the trunk to load. Wherever I went, the pigeon was there. If I
stood still he walked in a tight circle around me. Wherever I walked he was by my
side until we drove away. It was then I realized what God was showing me. Even
though we are not able to physically touch God, He is always with us,
surrounding us and walking close by our side.
My son did have a stroke, but with no lasting effects. If he
had not been able top get help quickly the story might have had a different
ending. I was made to realize that the benefits of having a God who is with us
all the time are immeasurable. God taught me this lesson by sending a single
pigeon to demonstrate how close He stays beside His children.
