I took this picture outside of Gretchen's door a few days after she died. A family member was adamant that this was not a real bird, just a bird from her extensive collection placed in the nest. I doubted myself for a time, but this nesting mother turned her head when I went to look again.
All of those who knew Gretchen were not surprised that there was a dove that guarded a nest outside her door, so close you could touch her, so vigilant she did not stir when we stepped outside.
"And I say, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.'" Psalm 55:6
I Googled "Bible verses about birds" and found a long list of comforting verses. Gretchen's own Bible bore many highlighted lines and written comments. I knew she was more religious than I was, knew she attended Bible study groups, knew she had rejected my more liberal Christianity, but I was startled to discover the extent of her Bible study and reflection. Considering the number of marked passages, she must have spent a lot of time reading Scripture.
When I had opened her Bible after she died, looking for some verses to use in her service, I discovered that a number of the marked verses focused on pain and suffering and assurance that there was a place of no suffering. I don't carry such certainty for myself, but for Gretchen, I can believe that Jesus welcomed her with open arms.
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