Memorial Box Monday ~ The Nest: Part II

Memorial Box Monday was started by my dear friend Linny @ A Place Called Simplicity, she explains what a Memorial Box is here.

Just as the children of Israel set stones as Memorials to remind them of the mighty things the Lord had done for them, we put tangible items into our Memorial Box, to represent and remind us, of the many times the Lord has moved on our behalf. And just as the Israelites passed down the stories of God's provision to their children, and their children's children--we will use our Memorial Box to teach and remind our children of God's great faithfulness to our family, and his personal love for us!

Memorial Box Monday ~ The Nest: Part II

If you missed my Memorial Box Monday post, "The Nest" you can find it here. In this original post I told of the Lord sending a precious pair of swallows to our front porch where they began to build a nest, just as we were wrapping up our long wait for Teddi. Upon our arrival home from China (with our fifth bird) we would find that five, brand new baby birds had hatched to Mr. & Mrs. Swallow. A year later, the Lord would bring my feathered friends back again, as we were wrapping up wedding preparations for my Taylor girl--ministering to my heart, as I prepared to let my big girl fly. This year, as spring rolled around again, my pair returned, and mama bird was soon sitting in her old familiar spot. Once again, life would find me preparing to let go of another bird, and this is where my story left off. . .

May would find us celebrating Brady's graduation from high school. It would also find this same 18 year old packing up and preparing to move to Spokane, to live with big brother. My mama's heart was aching as I prepared myself to say good bye to my "first" baby, the youngest of my "bigs". He was ready to fly, and he was going to do so in a big "2,000 miles away" way.

Mama swallow, during this time, hatched her brood of four.

I watched them grow, from naked little things-- with beaks that seemed bigger than their bodies . . . on to puffy little chirpers--covered in the fluffiest of down. The fluff was temporary though, as they soon sported sleek feathers, now looking much like their mama and daddy.

They had begun to sit on the edge of the nest . . .

yet still looked to mom and dad for a little support.

At this point we were exactly one week from Brady's scheduled departure. I don't know about others who have experienced this, but those last few days are to me, more agonizing than the actual good-bye. The days slip away one by one, and with each passing day, you wonder how on earth you will ever. let. go.

And then the Lord provided a distraction from that "letting go" ache.

My little birds began, one by one, to turn around

on the nest's edge, and try their wings.

"Hey, where did he go?"

"He's down there, with dad."

"Watch me now . . .

you can do it!"

"Flap hard . . .

now fly strong!"

"YES!"

A successful first flight. So pretty and proud.

And so it was, that as I prepared my heart, the Lord would show me a successful flight-- taken by His smallest creatures, over and over again. If He cared enough to orchestrate this little event of nature just for me, how much more capable was He of orchestrating Brady's first flight?

My third bird, Brady, flew away, exactly one week after that first baby bird's first flight. He is flying strong in Spokane. I couldn't be prouder. (I love you Brady.)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
~ Mathew 6:25-26 NIV ~

I must tell you that the nest was barely empty before Mrs. Swallow began sitting again. Two weeks later, there were four new babies to watch. They have grown quickly over the past couple of weeks . . .

and this morning, after I had begun writing this post (that I had pondered for weeks), those little ones began to turn around on the nest's edge. Mid morning I went outside to water flowers, before the extreme heat of the afternoon set in. About halfway through my watering I heard some serious chattering and chirping going on. I looked up to see my baby birds circling in flight, they were low, and directly above me. The Lord was putting on a show, because He loves me like that. He loves you like that too--in ways you cannot even comprehend!

Into our Memorial Box will go this little box full of fluffy

feathers, collected from my front porch.

A forever reminder that the Lord is the soother of our aching hearts-- and that He is always, always with us, cheering us on to fly high . . . and giving us the strength to soar!

Thank you Lord, that You know every single detail of our hearts. Hearts that You designed, hearts that you encourage, hearts that you long to see soar. Thank you for flying lessons Lord, thank you for picking us up when we fall, and for cheering us on when we soar, and for grace always--no matter what.

Blessings from my nest~

Tina