I held off on writing this blog post till Mother’s Day arrived; and I’m glad I did. You see, this particular Mother’s Day will always be special to my wife and me, as we have once again been blessed with the miracle of life. But before any misunderstandings emerge, allow me to hasten to explain my comments here.
The house in which we live was originally constructed by my wife’s parents. As an added touch, they placed old-fashioned awnings on the west side windows to cut down on the afternoon sun and its ill effects. Trust me; these do the job well, as they absolutely inhibit excess heat.
(Of course, there is the added benefit in that, being made of tin, they provide a particularly relaxing sound whenever precipitation falls. This can make for tranquil sleep on a rainy night. But I digress.)
If there is a drawback to these awnings, it is that they are magnets for wildlife. Lizards, spiders, bees, hornets, and the like frequently attempt to set up residence within their shelter. But these pale in comparison to birds. Each spring, I find myself working overtime to discourage any winged squatters. The reason is that birds in particular tend to make a mess whenever they set up housekeeping.
This year, however, I got out maneuvered. Rather than building a nest underneath any of the first floor awnings, as they usually attempt to do, one enterprising pair slipped me a curve ball, and built a nest underneath a second floor awning. (This may well have to do with the fact that they were forced to do so in order to be out of reach of my wife’s cat.)
The upshot of all of this is that by the time I discovered what was going on, a complete nest had been constructed, eggs had been laid, and a mother bird was therein ensconced upon them. To prevent birds from building a nest is one thing. To evict a sitting bird and dismantle her hard earned habitat is quite another. I chose to leave her and her forthcoming brood alone.
And I’m glad I did. Over the next couple of weeks, my wife and I slipped upstairs each day and peered through the window at the drama unfolding barely three feet away. Most of the time, all we saw was a mother bird sitting patiently upon the eggs within her nest. On occasion, we saw the father, a much more brightly colored bird fly up and hover, as if he were checking to see that all was well.
Once, I even saw another species of bird fly up and land nearby on the awning, at which point the brightly plumed father immediately launched from his perch atop the trampoline some twenty-five feet away and swept up to do battle. In short order, his bold and fierce display, whether genuine or pretentious, won the day. The foe, sufficiently subdued, retreated in ignominy to a tree on the other side of the yard.
Of course, we knew all along what we were witnessing. It was the cycle of life. A male bird and a female bird came of age. They met and a courtship undoubtedly ensued. Thereafter, in accordance with Mother Nature, the two of them made a home together, and brought forth a new generation of their species.
What we did not know is that it was destined to be this very day, Sunday, May 12, 2024, which the world has designated as “Mother’s Day”, when we would peer outside our window and discover that the mother bird was no longer sitting in her accustomed place. She was gone - nowhere to be seen. But the nest had not been abandoned.
Instead, what we saw was three furry hatchlings with their heads turned upward, mouths agape, panting for what we first assumed was air. I say “assumed” because it was not long thereafter until the mother came zooming in and alighted atop the edge of the nest. In her mouth was the biggest, juiciest worm imaginable. One can also imagine what happened next. Just as one can also imagine what happened later in the day when the flashy father showed up with an equal bounty.
In the coming days, we anticipate seeing the remainder of this drama unfold. In all likelihood, fuzzy little chicks will grow into fussy baby birds. A pecking order might even be established. But in the end, three new fully fledged birds will inevitably join the arboreal chorus surrounding our house and flit about chirping and tweeting and singing to the glory of God!
The Apostle Paul (in his first New Testament Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 14) once reminded us that nature herself is often our very best teacher. In this case, God used a simple little creatures called a finches to remind my wife and me of some significant truths.
The Bible repeatedly declares that a man should leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and that the two of them should become one flesh. On this Mother’s Day, 2024, I am thankful of more than one reminder I have received.
Time and again throughout history, as I record elsewhere on my website, my forefathers left their parents and formed a union with my foremothers. For that I am thankful. In the process of time, my own father was born; and when he came of age, he sought out and married my mother; and I came to be as a result. Thereafter, my father worked hard to provide for his family, while my mother faithfully poured her energy into nurturing me and my two sisters.
Later on, in God’s timing, I met, pursued, and eventually married my own beautiful wife. Thereafter, we too built, feathered, and tended a nest. By God’s grace, we then welcomed three little mouths, all sounding off for nourishment.
And now, all these years later, we have lived to see our three offspring, each in turn, meet, court, and pair off with their respective spouses. As a result, they have each, in turn, produced their own offspring, giving my wife and me seven precious grandsons!
My point in all of this is that the Lord has used the events of this particular day (the hatching of three little finch chicks) to remind me to be thankful for any number of individuals – among them, all my foremothers, my four great-grandmothers, my two grandmothers, my singular mother, my one and only wife (and the mother of my three children), and my daughter and two daughters-in-law (who are the mothers of my grandsons).
I will admit that, in all of my various capacities (be it as a great-grandson, a grandson, a son, a husband, a father, and now, as a grandfather), I am accustomed to a bit of strutting about before others. No doubt my father, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and earlier forefathers were much the same.
But where would I be today without a myriad of foremothers, without eight great-grandmothers, without four grandmothers, without a singular mother, and without my one and only wife?! With limited worldly plumage, time and again, each, in turn, simply fulfilled her natural calling and attended her respective nest in her respective generation!
As a result, I am today who I am. Had it been otherwise, I would not now be who I am. As a result, my children and grandchildren are who they are. Had it been otherwise, they would not now be who they are. And as a result, any and all future generations henceforth will also bear the same testimony.
The Bible tells us (in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 22) that “he who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” How true this is. A Godly wife is a great blessing; and I am especially thankful for mine. Still, how much more true is this of a Godly mother? After all, the latter encounter is merely an outcome of what the former encounter has produced!
As I write this, I am looking out our upstairs window. There, I see three demanding little gullets. Simultaneously, I observe a mother providing nourishment to each and every one. In this simple illustration from Mother Nature, I am reminded this Mother’s Day to thank God for my wife, my mother, my grandmothers, and all my foremothers. Without them, who might I now be? How might I have turned out?
In other words, I thank God for every “Mother’s Nature”!
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/11-14.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/10-7.htm.
The house in which we live was originally constructed by my wife’s parents. As an added touch, they placed old-fashioned awnings on the west side windows to cut down on the afternoon sun and its ill effects. Trust me; these do the job well, as they absolutely inhibit excess heat.
(Of course, there is the added benefit in that, being made of tin, they provide a particularly relaxing sound whenever precipitation falls. This can make for tranquil sleep on a rainy night. But I digress.)
If there is a drawback to these awnings, it is that they are magnets for wildlife. Lizards, spiders, bees, hornets, and the like frequently attempt to set up residence within their shelter. But these pale in comparison to birds. Each spring, I find myself working overtime to discourage any winged squatters. The reason is that birds in particular tend to make a mess whenever they set up housekeeping.
This year, however, I got out maneuvered. Rather than building a nest underneath any of the first floor awnings, as they usually attempt to do, one enterprising pair slipped me a curve ball, and built a nest underneath a second floor awning. (This may well have to do with the fact that they were forced to do so in order to be out of reach of my wife’s cat.)
The upshot of all of this is that by the time I discovered what was going on, a complete nest had been constructed, eggs had been laid, and a mother bird was therein ensconced upon them. To prevent birds from building a nest is one thing. To evict a sitting bird and dismantle her hard earned habitat is quite another. I chose to leave her and her forthcoming brood alone.
And I’m glad I did. Over the next couple of weeks, my wife and I slipped upstairs each day and peered through the window at the drama unfolding barely three feet away. Most of the time, all we saw was a mother bird sitting patiently upon the eggs within her nest. On occasion, we saw the father, a much more brightly colored bird fly up and hover, as if he were checking to see that all was well.
Once, I even saw another species of bird fly up and land nearby on the awning, at which point the brightly plumed father immediately launched from his perch atop the trampoline some twenty-five feet away and swept up to do battle. In short order, his bold and fierce display, whether genuine or pretentious, won the day. The foe, sufficiently subdued, retreated in ignominy to a tree on the other side of the yard.
Of course, we knew all along what we were witnessing. It was the cycle of life. A male bird and a female bird came of age. They met and a courtship undoubtedly ensued. Thereafter, in accordance with Mother Nature, the two of them made a home together, and brought forth a new generation of their species.
What we did not know is that it was destined to be this very day, Sunday, May 12, 2024, which the world has designated as “Mother’s Day”, when we would peer outside our window and discover that the mother bird was no longer sitting in her accustomed place. She was gone - nowhere to be seen. But the nest had not been abandoned.
Instead, what we saw was three furry hatchlings with their heads turned upward, mouths agape, panting for what we first assumed was air. I say “assumed” because it was not long thereafter until the mother came zooming in and alighted atop the edge of the nest. In her mouth was the biggest, juiciest worm imaginable. One can also imagine what happened next. Just as one can also imagine what happened later in the day when the flashy father showed up with an equal bounty.
In the coming days, we anticipate seeing the remainder of this drama unfold. In all likelihood, fuzzy little chicks will grow into fussy baby birds. A pecking order might even be established. But in the end, three new fully fledged birds will inevitably join the arboreal chorus surrounding our house and flit about chirping and tweeting and singing to the glory of God!
The Apostle Paul (in his first New Testament Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 14) once reminded us that nature herself is often our very best teacher. In this case, God used a simple little creatures called a finches to remind my wife and me of some significant truths.
The Bible repeatedly declares that a man should leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and that the two of them should become one flesh. On this Mother’s Day, 2024, I am thankful of more than one reminder I have received.
Time and again throughout history, as I record elsewhere on my website, my forefathers left their parents and formed a union with my foremothers. For that I am thankful. In the process of time, my own father was born; and when he came of age, he sought out and married my mother; and I came to be as a result. Thereafter, my father worked hard to provide for his family, while my mother faithfully poured her energy into nurturing me and my two sisters.
Later on, in God’s timing, I met, pursued, and eventually married my own beautiful wife. Thereafter, we too built, feathered, and tended a nest. By God’s grace, we then welcomed three little mouths, all sounding off for nourishment.
And now, all these years later, we have lived to see our three offspring, each in turn, meet, court, and pair off with their respective spouses. As a result, they have each, in turn, produced their own offspring, giving my wife and me seven precious grandsons!
My point in all of this is that the Lord has used the events of this particular day (the hatching of three little finch chicks) to remind me to be thankful for any number of individuals – among them, all my foremothers, my four great-grandmothers, my two grandmothers, my singular mother, my one and only wife (and the mother of my three children), and my daughter and two daughters-in-law (who are the mothers of my grandsons).
I will admit that, in all of my various capacities (be it as a great-grandson, a grandson, a son, a husband, a father, and now, as a grandfather), I am accustomed to a bit of strutting about before others. No doubt my father, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and earlier forefathers were much the same.
But where would I be today without a myriad of foremothers, without eight great-grandmothers, without four grandmothers, without a singular mother, and without my one and only wife?! With limited worldly plumage, time and again, each, in turn, simply fulfilled her natural calling and attended her respective nest in her respective generation!
As a result, I am today who I am. Had it been otherwise, I would not now be who I am. As a result, my children and grandchildren are who they are. Had it been otherwise, they would not now be who they are. And as a result, any and all future generations henceforth will also bear the same testimony.
The Bible tells us (in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs, chapter 18, verse 22) that “he who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” How true this is. A Godly wife is a great blessing; and I am especially thankful for mine. Still, how much more true is this of a Godly mother? After all, the latter encounter is merely an outcome of what the former encounter has produced!
As I write this, I am looking out our upstairs window. There, I see three demanding little gullets. Simultaneously, I observe a mother providing nourishment to each and every one. In this simple illustration from Mother Nature, I am reminded this Mother’s Day to thank God for my wife, my mother, my grandmothers, and all my foremothers. Without them, who might I now be? How might I have turned out?
In other words, I thank God for every “Mother’s Nature”!
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/11-14.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/10-7.htm.