Yesterday morning, I was at church starting to set up when the other early arriver came in. She told me that she had just seen a pigeon, tangled in netting, fall from the roof of the church onto the steps outside.

We went out, and at the second attempt I was able to catch it. The poor creature was terrified, its heart beating so fast that I feared it might die. Gently, I stroked its feathers and tried to reassure it.

We found a pair of scissors and my colleague carefully snipped the strands of net. As it fell away the relief of the bird was palpable.

Carefully we carried it outside, I opened my hands and it soared skyward. As it did so, another pigeon, perhaps its mate, flew to join it, and the two alighted on the roof opposite.

"Thank you Lord." said my colleague. Thank you indeed.

A few seconds either way, and the falling pigeon would not have been spotted and the story would have had a different ending. I am glad that J saw the pigeon and that we helped rescue it. I flippantly said, "go free, Holy Spirit" and who knows... Maybe there is a parable there?

A lovely story, and the better for being true