Empty Nest
Reflections on God’s provision
(originally posted on LynneCollier.com)
The Empty Nest
Singing cheerfully, the robins swooped back and forth over the garden, gathering twigs and grass for several days. Then, intertwining every piece carefully and solidifying it with mud, they worked away at their nest until it was perfect. Knowing her eggs would need to be warm, the female set off to find what she could to make a soft lining for her babies’ nest. She darted around all day with remnants of an abandoned craft project by the garden shed. These treasures were suitably soft, and she padded them against the rough twigs inside her nursery, pecking away until she was satisfied with her creation.
It wasn’t long before her eggs were laid, protected by the soft padding in the parents’ strong, woven home. The mother robin waited patiently, gently resting on her eggs to keep them warm. Soon her babies appeared. Attending to their every cry, both parents brought worms and tiny insects. They dropped them beside their young, watching over them cautiously, searching the landscape for predators that could harm their precious newborns. Occasionally, larger birds and an occasional stray cat brought a screech from the parents and an airborne strike to protect their young ones.
