We love birds in our family; so much so that we raise homing pigeons.  They are amazing birds with incredible speed and gentleness.  The birds serve as FFA and 4-H projects, a business for our kids, and just plain enjoyment.  Business with pigeons? You might ask with a skeptical look.  Well, the white birds are used for releases for weddings, funerals, and other special events.  (A little known “trade secret” – doves are not used in dove releases.  White pigeons are used for ethical reasons, mainly because they know how to make it home.)

When the kids have a job, we perform practice releases the week before to give the birds (okay really ourselves) the reassurance that they know the way.  Pigeons are really smart birds, and they don’t really need this step.  But we love doing the releases.  I can drive highway speeds back to our house, and those birds beat me back.  So they are also incredibly fast flyers.

Recently, we did a very special release at a benefit for a dear friend.  We did a final practice run the day before the event.  My gut told me that something was wrong.  Incredibly wrong.  When I arrived home, the birds were not there.  One hour later, no birds.  Three hours later, no birds. Oh no, this release is so important!  What in the world should we do?  I did what any momma would do in this predicament.  I hit my knees.  I knew that God knew where those birds were, and I knew that His word says that if He cares for the birds, why would he not care for my kids (and their birds).

In reality, I knew that God was the only One who could grant my children success.  They had done all the proper things with husbandry of pigeons.  They had cared, fed, nurtured, watered, bathed, vaccinated, and trained those birds.  There was nothing left that they could humanly do.  Seven hours later after much prayer and hand-wringing, most of the birds made it home.  We just had to place them in God’s hands and know that they would be safe there.

The same can be said of Reed’s Run.  I think we have checked and triple-checked the list. Honestly, our living room has been Command Central for months now.  We have prayed, planned, prayed some more, checked lists, wrote letters, mailed postcards, ordered supplies, updated websites, and prayed again.  But in the end, we rely on God’s faithfulness to make this last Reed’s Run a success.

Stealing one from my cousin-in-law and sister in Christ, all my “pray”-paring hinges on my belief that God will grant us our heart’s desire.  Just like Nehemiah, I humbly ask “Give your servant success today.”  (1:11 NIV)

Please join us in a day of prayer that God grants us our heart’s desire for a successful run and for the opportunity to share His love with others. If God is for us, then nothing else really matters!