Gustav(ia) the Hummingbird:
A Small Creature With a Big Lesson on Faith
Introduction
All summer long, my window feeder was alive with tiny wings. Hummingbirds darted in and out, hovering with quick bursts of energy before flitting away again. But one little visitor caught my heart in a special way. I noticed the fluttering out of the corner of my eye, my signal to stop and take note.
This hummingbird landed on my kitchen window feeder with a flourish, only 18 inches from my face. I watched as it inserted its tiny black beak into the opening for some nectar. This one was tiny, barely an inch tall! Since it was early June, I wondered if it was only a few weeks old.
Meet Gustav(ia)
Surprisingly, this delicate hummingbird didn’t seem afraid. Again and again, it dipped its beak in for refreshment, its wings still and resting next to its body. Was it too young to have developed the concept of fear?
“Honey, come look!” I whispered to my husband so as not to startle the bird. “This one is tiny, and it's the only hummer I’ve ever seen that just stops, sits, and drinks without fluttering! It doesn’t seem afraid of us at all!”
The hummingbird continued to drink for several minutes so my visiting daughter came over to the window for a peek.
“It needs a name!” I encouraged her. I loved naming and identifying all my hummingbird friends that visit.
“Gustav!” she announced drily. With a degree in linguistics, she loved using names from older literature for our critters.
“‘Gustav’!” I laughed. “Great name! Although based on its simple green and white coloring, I think it might be better if we named her “Gustav(ia)”!
Gustavia continued to frequent my window feeder daily, resting in complete stillness as she slurped the nectar. We enjoyed watching her growth.
Two months later, she stood almost two inches tall, and I noticed a small pinkish spot on her neck. Wait, was this a male then, or a female? Consulting Mr. Google, I learned that even females can sometimes show telltale pink on their necks. Only time would tell. I would need to wait until next year when Gustavia returned to see if the neck spot developed into a larger, red-fluorescent neck bandana indicating male gender.
Pausing to Reflect on Trust
In the meantime, I continued to marvel. Every other hummingbird at my feeder consistently kept their wings in motion while they ate, skittish and ready to fly away at any moment in fear.
Gustavia would simply sit and REST! Literally rest. Even in my presence, she would completely stop her wings to simply sit and drink. I’m not sure she realized that I was her provider; yet, she rested in trust, even as I stood observing on the other side of the window. Unlike the others, she chose to rest in the presence of her much larger benefactor and didn’t automatically react with fear.
Oh, boy. If Gustavia could rest in my provision and presence, how much more should I be able to rest in my Provider and His presence? Certainly something to ponder!
Lessons from Nature About Faith and Provision
As I watched Gustavia rest while she fed, I couldn’t help but think about myself. So often, I hover anxiously—flapping my “wings” with effort, trying to stay in control, striving instead of trusting.
But Gustavia reminded me that there is a better way. To simply rest. To lean fully on the One who provides. To believe, even when life feels uncertain, that the Lord of Heaven and Earth is our steady source of strength and provision.
God often uses creation to remind us of His care, and naturally I recalled this verse from Matthew 6:26 (ESV):
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Around mid-September, it became time to remove the feeder here in Ohio. Gustavia will instinctively migrate 2,000 miles to Central America for the winter. I’m missing her daily visits already, eagerly anticipating next May when all my hummer friends— Tuxedo, Dirty Greeny, Bandana, and of course my favorite, Gustavia—return.
But for now, I marvel at how the tiniest of creatures can teach us a lesson on resting in complete trust.
May we, like Gustavia, learn the art of trust—settling into the arms of our Creator, confident that His care for us will never fail.
How might you rest in the Lord today, just as Gustavia rested at the feeder?
For Worship:
Always on Time (Bella Cordero) by Elevation Worship
I love this and I LOVE hummingbirds!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your post (and gleanings from nature). We too name our hummers and have discovered how territorial they can be. (a lesson there as well?)