Empty Nesters

In a Tibetan village I noticed a crowd of people standing under a burning tree and looking up into the branches. I came near and discovered in the branches a bird which was anxiously flying round a nest full of young ones. The mother bird wanted to save her little ones, but she could not. When the fire reached the nest the people waited breathlessly to see what she would do. No one could climb the tree, no one could help her. Now she could easily have saved her own life by flight, but instead of fleeing she sat down on the nest, covering the little ones carefully with her wings. The fire seized her and burnt her to ashes. She showed her love to her little ones by giving her life for them. If then, this little insignificant creature had such love, how much more must our Heavenly Father love His children, the Creator love His creatures!  Sadhu Sundar Singh

My husband and I are now empty nesters.  When we got home last night our Pips were gone from the nest.  It was really a quick process.  Within a month we had a nest built, eggs laid and Pips hatched.  Fuzz gave way to feathers and then they were gone.  The thing is they didn’t go far.  When we went out to the patio we looked over to our quince tree and they were perched on the branches of the tree.  The interesting thing was the night before Gladys and her beau had been sitting on the very same branch keeping watch over their baby Pips.  I am thinking the was a lesson for the Pips in how to perch on a branch.  The first picture below is Gladys & Beau and the second photo are the Pips.  

When you think about it, that is how human parents are to raise their children.  When they are young they nurture and guide them.  As they grow older you allow them to make decisions and sometimes those decisions will not be good. 

Several years ago I had a baby bird that fell out of his nest into our back yard.  I think he really wasn’t ready to step out on a limb and when he did he wobbled and fell out.  To keep him from getting eaten by my dog I got a garden shovel and scooped him up and dropped him back in the nest.  When I did he proceeded to hop back out on the same limb and fell out behind our fence into the alley.  I went back around to the alley and dropped him back in the nest.  I am guessing his mama came back and scolded him because he didn’t leave the nest again until he could fly. 

Children are a heritage from the Lord and a gift.  Every adult has the responsibility to nurture and teach them to follow the Lord with all their heart.  Just as our doves taught their young to fly, we need to teach our children to know their Heavenly Father.  In a world filled with evil, their only hope is in God the Father.  Teach them to follow His ways and their paths will be straight.  

    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, we have a great responsibility to the youth of this age.  The influence we have on the youth of today can make the difference in them knowing You.  Help us as adults to teach them about You and Your great glory.  If we teach them that their strength is in You, we know You will not fail them.  I praise you for the protection You give children.  They are a heritage we shouldn’t take for granted.  

     

Scripture: Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.  Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.  Psalm 127:1-5