EARTH DAY: IN WHICH WE ACCIDENTLY KILL A SPARROW

My children found a baby bird in our backyard. Before I even knew they had found "her," they had already gotten a box, filled it with bread and water, made her a bed, and even decorated her house with flowers. They were convinced she was cold because she was shivering so much.

Then they were furious because their dad wouldn't let them bring her in the house. After googling it, he decided that because she had her feathers she would be fine outside and quickly condemned her new house and released her free.

My husband and I both knew she wasn't going to make it--whether or not she got to stay inside as a part of the family.

The next morning (too early) the kids ran outside to check on her only to find her stiff little body laying in the rocks.

"You killed her DAD!"

How do you explain to 4 heartbroken children that that was not why she died--that no matter what we did she still probably wouldn't have survived?

I well remember trying to "rescue" many baby birds when I was younger. They never did make it. One time in particular, when I was in high school, my mom told me to be careful backing out of the garage because of a little baby bird in our driveway. I had learned from past experience that I shouldn't pick it up. The result was an enormous dent and scratch down the side of the family car as I avoided the bird but hit the ward scout stove.

After trying to comfort my children, I thought about the scripture in Matthew where it says that God even notes the fall of a sparrow. In this great vast universe, He is aware of me and of my family and like He told Moses in Exodus, "I know thee by name."

On this Earth Day, I celebrate God who created this planet--“Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul” (D&C 59:18–19).