Beneath the Veil no. 7 Peter and the Pigeon in the Chimney

I was sitting in my living room early in the morning and I heard a flapping in my chimney. “Oh no, a bird’s caught.” I prayed that it would somehow get out. When I was praying I listened and the Holy Spirit told me to put some bread in the fireplace so the bird would come down and be able to get out. I guess I didn’t really believe it because when I went off to work, I left the door open where the cat could get into the living room. When I got home, to my surprise the bird had gotten out. It was bedraggled looking and shivering up on a shelf where the cat couldn’t reach it and the cat was prowling around below. I was able to rescue the bird, put it outside and it flew off. The next day I happened to find a plaque at a garage sale of the same type of bird God saved for me. I hung it up on my bedroom wall to remind me God always answers my prayers.

There’s a story in Acts 12 similar to mine, where people didn’t expect God to really answer their prayers. Peter got thrown into prison and believers had gathered at Mary’s house to pray. We can pretty much assume they were praying for Peter, that he would get out of prison somehow. God answered their prayer. When Peter showed up at the house, a girl named Rhoda answered the door. She saw him and was so excited and amazed she ran in to tell the others and forgot to let him in. When she told them Peter was there in the flesh, they said she was crazy and decided it must be Peter’s angel. They were definitely familiar with angels, but they failed to really believe God was answering their prayer for Peter’s flesh and blood release! Peter kept pounding on the door and finally they came to the door. They were astonished and must have all been talking at once because Peter had to quiet them down to tell the story of his escape (Acts 12:1-17). 

Even though I prayed, I didn’t really believe God would save the pigeon and these people didn’t really believe God would save Peter. My experience with the pigeon was a turning point for me. It showed me that God ALWAYS answers my prayers. We can trust that He will do it. Jesus always tells us the truth: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24).

Love, Carolyn