I stumbled onto the existence of her nest quite by accident. Standing beside the boxwood out front, I was startled by flutter of wings and the unceasing scolding of "chit chit chit" from a female cardinal in the crabapple tree. "Why IS that bird carrying on so?" I wondered. Then I glanced into the boxwood.
There in perfect view of our family room window, in the back of a large boxwood, was a well-concealed nest made of pine needles and leaves. Three grey-blue eggs with brown speckles were cradled there. Suddenly we were human "midwives" to cardinal triplets! Every morning we peeked between the slats of the mini-blind to see how "our" mama bird was doing. Every time we rolled the trashcan down the driveway or opened the garage door, we would apologize for startling her.
We called it "the secret in the bush" to prevent Claudia Joy, our 2.5 year old, from disturbing the nest. Elizabeth, our 6.5 year old, asked questions, most of which I could not answer, and marveled at the perfect little nest so carefully woven around the twigs and leaves.
We were mad when a starling made off with two of the eggs, having stabbed them with its beak. Blood showed through the fragile shells, so we knew there was nothing we could do. It offered an important opportunity to talk about the cycle of life and death in that sad moment. So we focused on the one egg was left for "our" mama bird to hatch, and watched as she sat and sat.
As I write this, the baby has hatched and is under the tender care of two anxious parents and some curious humans. Curiousity peaks each morning as we tiptoe over to the window for a glimpse through the blinds. Will she be there still? Is the baby OK? How long before the baby flies? We marvel at the beginnings of flight feathers, of a creature that seems to be more open mouth than anything else. We reassure ourselves that the neighborhood cats will not find the nest. Our worries are truly extraneous to the birds. They only have to be the creatures God created them to be! We are in awe of being allowed to watch this process unfold before our eyes...
I re-read this week in my Bible all the verses I could find about nests and birds with a new eye to their meaning. What a comfort to know that God sees my needs and wants and meets them. And all I have to do is "be a cardinal!" These verses in particular reminded me of God's love and care.
My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
Even Thine altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God!
How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee."
-Psalm 84:1-4
-Matthew 6:25-27, 31-33
From our home to yours-
Deb
with
written permission.For other "musings", please see Previous Month's Musings
