The roof on our house is closed off at both ends. The only access into the attic is through a small, 2-foot by 2-foot square hole cut through the middle of the ceiling inside the garage. This small opening led to a terrifying experience one summer day….

It was a very hot summer’s day in Ottawa, Canada. As I stood looking out from the kitchen window, I noticed two red-breasted robins happily flying down to the lawn, picking up bits of grass, and then flying off again. They seemed very cheerful and busy, and I knew they were building a nest for their second set of eggs of the summer.

After several minutes, the fluttering stopped, and I heard the male robin on the roof right above the kitchen window. He seemed to be crying loudly. The little female robin was nowhere in sight.

I went outside to see what had happened. The male robin, on top of the roof, was hopping back and forth, back and forth, crying loudly. I listened for a moment, and began to feel my heart ache. Something was very wrong! His cries sounded as though he was saying, “Help! Please, please help!!”

I stood directly below where he was. Then I heard a slight scratching noise coming from inside the roof. I knew at once what had happened. Someone had left the garage door open, and the female robin mistakenly had flown up through the tiny hole in the garage ceiling. She was trapped inside the attic of the house. The male was shouting to her from the outside, trying to help her escape.

I hurried to the garage, grabbed a ladder, and put it into the hole to the attic. I climbed up. My plan was to catch the robin and let her out. When I reached the attic, however, I nearly fainted. It was like an oven. I could not tolerate the heat even for a minute. I became frantic. It was impossible for me to rescue the trapped bird.

I prayed to God for another solution. In a moment, the thought came to have a conversation with the robin. At first, I dismissed this idea as ridiculous. How could a robin hear me!! But the thought persisted, and time was short. I knew she would not survive long in the heat up there.

I saw her fluttering hopelessly several feet away from me. I concentrated as hard as I could, and began to talk to her. She stopped her frantic movements and seemed to listen to me. I told her there was only ONE way out of the attic. I told her she must fly to where I was standing, and she would find the way out. I repeated the message several times. Not wanting to frighten her, I stepped back down the ladder and returned to the kitchen. I continued to pray to God to help her understand.

A few moments later, I went back outside and looked in the garage. I was astounded to see her perched just on top of the hole inside the garage! She was almost free! However, she seemed confused, and would not move. I felt in my heart that she was afraid to fly down into the garage, which was “human territory.” Once again, I got the message to talk to her.

Concentrating as hard as I could, I told her that she must fly down through the garage and out the door. I told her to fly to where I was standing. She looked directly at me as I spoke and cocked her head to one side, again appearing to listen to my words.

I went back outside to wait under a tree. Seconds ticked by slowly. No bird. I continued to pray to God, and send her mental messages.

Suddenly a pair of wings flashed out through the garage door and she landed on the lawn. Her partner swooped down immediately to join her. They appeared to have a loving conversation with each other. She was no doubt telling him about her terrifying near-death experience. After a few moments, they both flew off, and returned once more to happily building their nest. I thanked God for caring so deeply for these beautiful, innocent little creatures, the robins.