Nesting Instincts
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye on you. Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
I love the call of the mourning doves—especially in the early morning. When I went camping and heard their sounds almost before dawn, I wanted to shoot them all. (Of course, I didn’t!) Mabel Ninan shares some thoughts from All God’s Creatures with which we can identify as parents and caregivers.
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I watched in admiration as the mourning dove carefully chose branches, leaves, and wood chips from my garden floor and transported them, one by one, to my plum tree. Focused and undeterred, he kept at his work for hours. When I returned to my backyard later that day, I found the dove comfortably seated in its newly constructed ramshackle nest. As the days passed, I noticed he had a partner who frequented the nest. The pair never left their home unattended. Within a few weeks, I was thrilled to find baby doves among the twigs. I tried to approach the birds’ home for a closer look, but the wary looks of the parents kept me at a distance. The parents’ devotion to the feeding and protection of their chicks touched my heart.
Parenting young ones can be overwhelming and exhausting. As a mother of a ten-year-old boy, I wrestle with questions about my ability to parent. I doubt if I’m disciplining my son correctly, giving him the right nutrition, or signing him up for the appropriate extracurricular activities. Am I being overprotective? Am I giving him too much screen time?
The nest in my backyard became a source of comfort and reassurance for me. God created the mourning doves with the instincts and skills to be good parents. The birds know how to build a home and nurture their young ones. My Creator has endowed me, too, with the intuition and potential to be a good mother. In addition, I can depend on Him for daily wisdom and counsel as I parent my child.
Walk of Faith: Take your fears and concerns about parenting, or any type of caregiving you do, to God in prayer. You are not alone. He promises to be with you and help you.
This picture, taken locally by Andrea Straka, is from her kitchen window. Her family has had the joy of watching three eggs hatch and witnessed the parenting skill of the mourning doves.
Loving Lord, thank You for new life and new beginnings. Help us to come to You with our doubts and wait for Your counsel, Your soothing words and encouragement. AMEN.