Miracle--a story by Mia

Although Dad did not view animals as people do now (buying them gifts, dressing them, and giving them their own room), I do have a wonderful memory of him and a bird. This happened when I was a little girl living in Yuma. It happened one hot summer Sunday afternoon. It was during the break between the morning Sunday School, and evening service.

Ireri Briones had come to spend the afternoon with me. We went outside to play and found a little sparrow dying of dehydration or heat exposure. I decided we would be heroes and save this little bird from an untimely death. We took it inside and gave it water, a cool bath to bring it's core down, but it was not working.

It would not eat. I was crying because I could not save the bird. I asked Dad to please give the bird a blessing. He, at first, seemed annoyed at my request, and said that blessings were only for people and not animals. But I guess after he saw my disappointment, he gave in and prayed for the bird that I had named Miracle. I believed I was going to save him/her. Soon after Dad prayed for it. Miracle died, but the true Miracle was the love of a father for his child. Regardless of his feelings of treating animals like people, he prayed for the bird his little girl loved.