I've been sitting on this blog post for the last week trying to decide what I could say about the story, but instead I'm just going to tell the story and you can make any conclusions you like. On Saturday morning of our April 2013 Bootcamp JB and I were running a little late to breakfast and we were the last people in the cabin. As we're just about out the door I see a bird hit the big A-Frame window and fall the 20-30 feet to the deck. We walk out and see this poor creature is in bad shape. Its breathing ragged its eyes are rapidly dimming and something sharp and white is protruding from the side of his face. Our best guess is that it's bone from his head - a compound fracture of the little guy's skull. As I pick him up he's shuttering, blood is coming off on my fingers and we both say, "we ought to put this poor thing out of his misery." But then after a short pause JB says out loud what also just came to me, "let's pray for him." So I fold my other hand over the top and close him in my hands and we pray. Nothing fancy, just "Father, please heal this poor creature." With that behind us, JB goes back inside to grab a box lid and some ripped up paper towels to give the guy a least a little warmth. Prayer or not, we were both expecting to leave this creature to die. He's still closed up in my hands and I can hear his breathing get faster and faster, harder and harder. Hard to believe I could hear a bird breathe but I was convinced I was hearing his death rattle. A few seconds later, JB comes out with the box top and I open my hands to let go of this wounded thing. But instead of a corpse, out of my hand jumps a perfectly alive bird. His feathers are straightened, his eyes are bright and the bone(?) is no longer jutting from his face. Not only is he no longer bleeding, but the blood from his face has been cleaned off. Like something out of Snow White the little guy jumps right up into JBs hand, poses for this picture and then flies off to join his buddies. Thanks to a friend, I'm pretty sure we had a male Violet-green Swallow (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Violet-green_Swallow/id) and while I don't know it was bone in photo one, it seems the most likely possibility. Regardless, whatever was sticking out of his bloodied face, it was gone in photo two and there was nothing in my hands (except left over blood) when he popped back out. Think what you will, conclude what you wish, but JB and I spent the last week in awe of our Father.