This is taken from my journal in what seems like ages ago but came to mind this winter when our Keeper's Club ventured into a delightful bird study. Jeremiah, the photographer, captured this feathered reminder that God so lovingly cares for us.

In wisdom, God has set His example in nature, which draws us closer to Him.

I was in awe of my little feathered neighbor who had skillfully built her home under the roofing outside our back porch. As I washed dishes I admired her character, peering through my kitchen window. Piece by piece, she chose the framework for her nesting house. Patiently, she tended tiny speckled domes that held her offspring. In a short time, she was happily playing servant-momma to five demanding chicks. I timed her. Every fifteen minutes she'd return with a fat morsel of food which she divided among them. The helpless babies would chirp and call for momma 'til they were satisfied. She offered no complaints and lovingly spent the next two weeks in this manner. The day came when the fuzzy babies had grown almost as big as she, and I noticed one by one, that they no longer inhabited the nest.

Only bits of twig remain behind now, as my four young boys and I delight in observing the gathering of kindred birds who search for nourishment in our backyard and sing praises to their Maker. Like momma bird, I have but a short time to spend nurturing my babies, and then they will be off fluttering on their own. I ponder how well I am providing for a welcome, happy and healthy home for my family. If only I could be half as patient and diligent in duty, tending to my little ones! As busy days come and go, let me find myself as non-complaining, and treasuring each precious hour. And when I find my nest empty, I will join the others that share a similar fate, with His song in my heart.