– that’s his name – is a delight. When the other animals aren't around He flies here and there around the house, lands wherever he wishes, and spends hours with us no matter what we’re doing. He loves to sings and yell when we sing or do poetry. I’ve learned to imitate most of his whistles, and we carry on long conversations. I don’t know what Sam’s saying a lot of the time, and he likely wonders about me too. He has learned to say many things however. But we have fun and lots of it.
One of his sounds was difficult to master, but I finally got the hang of it. God must have had a good chuckle when I discovered the bobbing and clicking are part of the parrot’s mating ritual.
“Waitaminit,” you say. “Why would God concern himself with the antics of a tiny parrot? Doesn’t he have better things to do, like answer prayers, perform miracles, and keep the universe in order?” Sure, he does all those things, and a lot more. But God created Sam, so it’s reasonable to believe he cares about his diminutive dynamo. After all, we’re told even the tiniest sparrow is not forgotten by God (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6). And if God cares about the birds, doesn't he care about you?
Lost a hair? God knows how many you have left (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7). He may even know the brand of rinse you use to make your tresses look younger, but that doesn’t likely go into the record book.
But back to Sam. As a child I always wanted to be a pirate, ‘cause every pirate had a parrot on his shoulder. Well, I never became a pirate, but Sam is a parrot and he spends a lot of time on my shoulder. So, in a way I finally got my wish.
Why did God create Sam? I’m not sure, but I know he didn’t create him to prove evolution. We have played with Sam long enough to know he is all bird: no fins; no scales; no fur. Just feathers. Besides, evolution leaves no place for God.
He also didn’t create Sam as evidence of the fittest of the species. If that silly theory was true, everything would be one shade of grey so the prey couldn’t be seen by the preditors. Besides, even if everything was grey, Sam’s happy whistles, chatters and chirps would give away his location as he can be quite loud at times. Also, if the fittest of the species theory was true, there shouldn’t be a North American human being alive. We’re likely the unfittest of all mankind.
I asked a friend why she thought God created Sam. She thought it was for his enjoyment, and I can’t argue that. After all, if God sees the little sparrow fall, as the children’s song says, then his eyes must roam the world keeping watch over all his birds and animals and sea life. When he created them he likely thought they may as well be colourful so he could enjoy them more than if they were all drab grey.
My friend added something, though, and that was God created Sam, and all things living, to enhance our lives, so we might see him in all things.
Then I asked a fellow who lived thousands of years ago, why God created Sam. The shepherd psalmist, David of Israel, told me in my bible, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork (Psalm 19:1).”
Sam, with all his beautiful incandescent colours, and his cheerful chatter, declares just a bit of God’s glory. And, if Sam is just a tiny example of God’s glory, how glorious must our heavenly father be?
The beauty of Barbados is said to be, “Just beyond your imagination.” Somehow that also fits the glory of the one who created Sam and all his friends. So to see God just look around you and listen to what the animals, birds and other sounds show and tell us about the Father!
I was going to add Photo's of Sam to this blog but can't seem to figure it out so will try to upload them onto my page if any cares so see my wonderful joy named Sam!
God Bless Each of You!
Rev. Teresa Piercey-Gates
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