In The Fowler’s Snare For Real!

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After refreshing fellowship at church and a tasty lunch at home, FedEx rang the bell with Starry’s Chewy package, yay! I headed down the stairway to the lobby and, as is my habit, I glanced out the stairway windows as I went. I did a double-take at the 4th floor window, my heart quickly deflated. The roof of the next building had a large net surrounding a generator and a big pigeon was fighting wildly to get free.

Caught in the fowler’s snare and no way out!!

pidgeon stuck in net

When owner Columbia University evicted our beloved Bodega to install their own deli, nothing seemed right. I marched into the deli, photo in hand, and approached the cashier.

“I need to see the manager. Look here,” I flashed the pic, “there’s a bird caught in your net on the roof. We need to get up there…”

“Oh, the manager’s not around, probably back tomorrow…there’s no way to get to the roof”

“This can’t wait til tomorrow, this bird will die overnight! Someone must be able to get to the roof.” I went to the back and met with the sandwich guy who shook his head and referred me to the stock man. “Sorry, there is no access available to the roof. It has a special lock and no one can open it”.

“No one” can open a roof door? That’s a building violation.

Already late on a Sunday afternoon, I had to act fast, first contacting the main NYC complaint line, 311 to report Animal Abuse in progress. They referred me to NYPD who did actually show up within an hour. I was so hopeful, so sure they would be on that roof. But subsequent follow-up yielded the same response,

“Sorry, we couldn’t get access to the roof, no one is able to open that door.”

“Can’t you break it down? That bird is struggling so hard, he will surely die a slow death!”

“No, sorry, that’s how we get into so much trouble! We referred this case to ASPCA”

The sun was setting and now Mr. Pigeon is well enmeshed into the net, hanging upside down. I tried every possible intervention, even calling PETA. Bob and I prayed for God’s help. Lastly I turned to the neighborhood social media and posted the situation. Now it’s dark. I need not check on the bird again, my mind played its own tormenting video of the net swinging in the wind, pigeon upside down, and then it started raining hard...

With the wind blowing and rain pelting, the night was restless. With all the suffering in the world, why, I asked the Lord, can I not escape this pigeon? The Snare of the Fowler, by Charles Spurgeon, arose in my mind and gripped my heart. It is an excellent message from this great preacher, in which he quotes a song,

“Satan, the fowler, who betrays unguarded souls a thousand ways….”

The devil’s crafted snares are not for unbelievers – they are already subject to him. His cunning allurements, his deceit and secrecy is reserved for the unsuspecting believer…how could a light weight, nearly invisible net be of any harm anyway? Nothing will happen! Just go near and touch it, fly into it if you’d like!‘

I tossed and turned, wondering, as I viewed this tortured pigeon on the roof below, what must God’s view be like, seeing His people, called by His name, carelessly toying with sin and compromise – an invisible net that will surely disable and destroy. With love and urgency our Father warns us of danger, and yet so often we near the net, touch the net, believe that it is benign before we’re trapped.

It was still dark when I got up. I prayed but partly hoped the bird died quickly overnight to end his suffering. The media posting was growing with responses and suggestions. The care of unmet neighbors was very encouraging. Bob was leaving for work and I called another friend whom I know to be a ‘fighter of good causes.’ But he was sick and could not help so I offered to help him! But he urged me to check on the bird, “use binoculars” see if he’s still alive and call FDNY.

I really did not want to call the Fire Dept. I knelt and earnestly prayed, “Oh Father, send someone to help me! I can’t save this bird without You!”

With binoculars and a heavy heart I headed to the 4th floor window. Agh, looks dead….but as I watched…he’s ALIVE!!!

JUST THEN the building super came up the stairs to continue work on the 4th floor. “Radames!”, I immediately called out to him, especially since I appear to be spying through the window with binoculars! “Radames, come quick and see what I’m seeing!!”

He peered out, “Ohhh…..”

“Radames, that poor bird’s been fighting all night! My only last resort is FDNY! Do you know the store manager? How can we save that bird??”

“Wait here, just wait here…”

Five minutes later he called out, “I’m up here! I’m up on the roof!!!”

W H A T!?!

radames on roof

My ‘super’ super rescued the bird and held him up to me, wonderful!!! I shouted out the window, “Try and bring him down, I’m taking him for a check up, he’s injured!” I had the Wild Bird Fund ready to take him. Alas, as he loosened his grip the bird flew/tumbled down…Radames came back up the stairs.

“Radames! How did you get them to open the roof door!!”

“Those people don’t know anything! I climbed up the roof myself!”

W H A T!?!

I went outside with him to look for the bird, which had landed upon a high window sill. Impossible to get him, might he mend on his own?

But then I saw how he got up the roof….

back alley

He used two 10′ ladders! Up a narrow passage way, totally death defying to me!!!

Now dozens of people are chiming in on the media page, waiting to see the bird’s fate – the shared joyous relief was so uplifting!

The Fowler’s Snare, let us be alert and discerning! It is crafted to look harmless, even inviting, don’t even touch it! Against this powerful foe, in our own strength, we will end up enmeshed and upside down! But our Father sees all things….

Thank You Lord, our Deliverer and Rescuer! “… Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare….”

30 thoughts on “In The Fowler’s Snare For Real!”

  1. Lisa Beth, this is the best post I have ever read! First it is convicting, I do not like nor will I ever like pigeons. I said before my conversion that “my personal hell is reserved for rats, pigeons and Little Richard’s music.” I am awed and amazed for your care for the pigeon. This truly is a “for real” example. I agree with you 100% that it’s not the world being sucked in by Satan but believers. I appreciate your “super” super’s ability to free the pigeon. I absolutely 100% would have been unwilling to do anything to help this pigeon as to me I have said all over the world “pigeons are disease carrying birds too fat to fly anywhere cool.” How often am I like Nathaniel asking “can anything good come from Nazareth?” rather than seeking ways to help people come and see the Savior or in this case reconnect with their Savior?

    The other area where I am convicted is that I would see this pigeon and say suffering is a part of life because I don’t like pigeons. Now, we have a fox with babies in our neighborhood and at 3am the fox has been killing the rabbits in our yard and neighbors yard. The bunny makes an AWFUL shriek and the first thing I do is ask Nathan, “is that in our yard?!” (As a hunter he knows these things even without seeing) and then I start praying for God to end the rabbit’s suffering quickly. I have tears in my eyes when this happens and a heavy heart. Now, someone could say the fox killing the rabbit for food is absolutely a part of life. More so then the pigeon getting stuck. It is convicting to me what life I find worth defending. Thank you for this post, sister. I will ponder this for many days! Love, hugs and blessings!

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    • Wow Mandy! I so appreciate how you open your heart here. You’re such an encouragement!
      My heart was so gripped with this suffering pigeon, it almost baffled me. I’m not crazy about pigeons! But I often say, “with the Lord, the thing at hand is not always the thing at hand”, sometimes He grips our heart for a deeper reason.
      Not sure how I’d feel about shrieking bunnies! But I agree with your points and remind myself that one day the lamb will lie next to the lion in peace.
      Thank you sister, you’re a favorite reader for sure. I always look forward to hearing from you and seeing your posts! ❤

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    • True, Mandy, we place different values on different kinds of creatures, depending on our personal preferences. How sad it is – how downright evil – that people put different degrees of value on human beings, who are made in the image of God! Some people are considered less important because of their lack of ability to “contribute to society.” There are those who wouldn’t give someone in a certain situation the compassion Lisa Beth and her neighbors gave to a bird. And yet God, who knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, has said “You are much more valuable than sparrows.” ❤️

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      • Annie, I agree with you 100%! I was going to include that as well but my response was already lengthy!!!! Thank you for staying this! Most of my working career has been with the elderly or people with disabilities and they have been treated horribly by society and it breaks my heart! I know you have a massive heart for the preborn and I love that about you! Humans are created in the image of God and that needs to be at the forefront of our minds rather than at the back!

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  3. First of all I thank you dear sister for your concern for the pigeon in the net then I thank you for the reminder to beware of snares which look nothing but can make us remain hanging in it for days,nights and years with literally no hope of escape but only the holy name of Jesus Christ.God bless.Take care.🙏😊🌹

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  5. He came to steal, kill and destroy. He has been trying to destroy my life ever since the day I was born but my Lord has always been there with outstretched arms rescuing me every time. Thank you my Lord for your unwavering love and mercy and thank you Lisa Beth for such a beautiful post. Your are a blessing to all who know you. Love you.

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  6. “The devil’s crafted snares are not for unbelievers – they are already subject to him. His cunning allurements, his deceit and secrecy is reserved for the unsuspecting believer.” Wow! We so often as believers say the exact opposite, but you’re so right. Thank you for this eye opening post. P.S. I really do hope the pigeon is okay.

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  9. My heart cringed for that bird, so helpless in that net, Lisa. I know he’s not a person, but I so empathized with him. I’m so grateful you cared enough to persist in rescuing him. Also for the kindness of your “super.” I sure hope the pigeon is okay. And thank you for the spiritual lesson in this. The more we long to follow Jesus, the more Satan sets his snares where we’re the most vulnerable. Love and blessings to you!

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    • Thank you Trudy for all your uplifting thoughts and comments. I am so grateful when the Lord speaks through situations, even when they’re painful.
      Haven’t seen the pigeon, I hope he’s resting and healing!
      Love and hugs to you sister ❤

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  10. This is really good, Lisa. So thankful that we have a deliverer when we get caught in the enemy’s snares. You have such a kind heart, even to little birds you’ve rescued. Love to you and Bob.

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