that said, bird's nests have always been of a major fascination to me. my mom loves them and has lots of artificial and real nests that she keeps around the house as precious decorations. but lately, a lesson from God has laid within the sweet little constructs.
a bird's nest is a very special little natural construct not just a bundle of sticks and reeds turned into a little home that serves a very special purpose. what is it that is so special about bird's nests?
1. you can't fake a nest.
when i was a young girl i really wanted there to be baby animals in my family (and there was no way that we were going to be puppies or kittens in our house), so i came up with a plan. my little brother (3 years younger than me) and i decided that we were going to build an artificial nest in the front yard of our home. we took our time perfecting the shape of the nest and gather together the perfect materials that even a bird would pick. no eggs and no birds found our little nest that sit so perfectly in the lawn for them.
just in this same way, you can't fake the plans or dreams, the place in life that God has for you. as much as it might not be exactly what you want or the plans you had made for yourself, God has them and His timing is ultimate.
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
just remember the little nest, remember that its built by the mama bird for a very special reason and if it's not made by her, it's not a place for her kids to be born.
2. nests are made with tender love and care.
a mother bird spends just as much time creating and forming the nest for her little birdies than she spends in the nest atop the eggs waiting to meet her sweet babies. and once they are born, it's a very short period of time that they stay in the sweet structure she made. we, as humans, have become obsessed with being as time efficient as possible rather than putting their heart into an effort that doesn't lead to a great reward, whether its self glory or material goods.
"Then he said to them, "Watch out!" Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." -Luke 12:15
we must remember to be mindful of what it is our efforts are truly doing for us rather than seeking a personal gain in all that we do.
3. creating a nest and hatching baby birds in it requires much patience.
sitting still and trusting there to be a wonderful end to your wait is a new extreme test of faith. i truly struggle being peaceful and waiting. i want things to happen and i want them to happen now. a mama bird, just sits and provides heat for her little unborn babies. she doesn't sit with others, she sits alone waiting for her babies to break from their little shells.
as God says in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God". we must be still and wait for the little eggs God has sitting in our nest to hatch and fill our lives with His grand, unimaginable plan for us.
song of the day: Be Still My Soul
Kari Jobe
and that mama bird is still on those eggs in that nest safely placed under the patio cover. i too must remain patient in my nest and know the egg that lies beneath with hatch God's perfect plan when He is ready for it to hatch...in the meantime, rest and be still. love you missy!
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