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In 2014 we had the pleasure of welcoming a visitor to come live at our home for a few weeks. She didn’t exactly come alone as soon there were 3 little babies on the way. You may have guessed; it was a robin that made her nest between the back of one of my patio chairs and an artificial tree in the corner. My husband Harlan and I were surprised that she built her nest so close to the back door that led out onto the deck, but even more excited when we saw the 3 little sky-blue eggs. We watched as mother robin would spend hours sitting on those eggs and then one morning when checking on the nest, we discovered there were no longer eggs in that nest but three hungry little birds! How diligent mother robin was in feeding her little ones and watching for danger!
We were beginning to wonder how long this little family would be occupying our deck as we were anxious to get our furniture cleaned up and in place so I “googled” to see if we could just move the nest. The instructions were clear....NO! I did find out that the little babies would be 2 weeks in the eggs, two weeks in the nest and then would be gone, never to return to this nest. This seemed unbelievable to me as they seemed to need so much care from their mother! Day after day I would check on this little family as soon as I returned home from work. Mother robin didn’t even seem to mind me snapping a few pictures of her little ones!
Even after knowing what I read, I was still very startled when I came home from work one day, headed straight out the back door to take another picture of my little baby birds that now had feathers, when they suddenly flew up past me...and were gone! That empty nest now seemed so empty and I watched to see if the little ones would perhaps return, but they didn’t.
I couldn’t help but reflect on our human families. How we have our children and pour all our time and effort into caring for them making sure they are fed, clothed and safe from harm, but then all too soon they leave our nest and head out into a world that seems so harsh and frightening at times. It is so hard to see them go! To those families who are sending their children off to kindergarten, university, vocational schools, or perhaps the city where they will look for a job, remember the Lord Jesus Christ is always near! Perhaps these verses will bring encouragement to you and your children:
Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know”
Jeremiah 29:13 “And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart”.
Psalm 50:15, “Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."
Psalm 91:15, “When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honour them.”
Our children need the Lord! They need our prayers, for the Lord to guide them and instruct them. How thankful I am that the Lord goes with them. We do not send them out into this world alone. Claim God’s promises for your family today! Perhaps you even want to pick up that devotional book you’ve been thinking of sending with them along with a bible? You may find it was just what they needed!