They come quietly at first. One of the signs seasons are changing. They work very hard to build their nests out of mud. Of all things, mud. They fill their beaks with bits of mud and stack them one on top of the other. They work as a team. The nest isn’t built in a large tree or bush. No, it is usually in the barn beams or rafters. If they are desperate, they will build on the side of the house, against the stones. They are called: Barn Swallows. They have a sweet chirp and basically leave you alone, if you walk on two legs…..If you have four legs, whiskers and claws, they look like bomber jets. They can swoop and turn on a dime, if they feel you are coming too close. Our poor cats get bombed every day by them. Why do they do this? They are protecting their precious young in the nests they so diligently build. The mud nests, that no matter how much rain we get stay on the side of the house year after year. They also love all the insects they can find when I cut the grass they follow the mower, catching any and all bugs in my path.
This past week, they had a reason to celebrate. Their second round of young were ready to leave the nest. A job well done. I was able to watch this batch leave and get a few pictures. I never realized before the group effort it takes for these babies to leave the nest. First, the parents are flying back and forth and chirping like crazy. As if to say “Today is the day! You can do it”! Over and over. Then other adults realize what is happening and they join in. Encouraging them to fly. Now, keep in mind, they have been hidden and shoved down in the nest. All of a sudden, they are to just flap their wings and fly? After awhile one is brave and tries it out. Then before long the others follow, but it takes one to try it first. The cheering that follows is a celebration. They first land on a smaller roof and flap and flap their wings. Then the parents take turns bringing them food to reassure them, that they are still there to take care of them. Once all the babies are out of the nest, the other adults simply leave. It is almost like they are there just for the encouragement. This whole process takes several hours. Then when evening falls, they come back together as a group and sit on the power lines and chirp away as if catching up with each other and the type day they had.
They will leave as quietly as they came only leaving their homes behind. Here one day and gone the next. They will return next year, but their song is missed.
I reflected on this moment and thought we as people can learn from them. Sometimes we are the ones in the nest, scared of the unknown. We never tried it before, so we don’t know or care what we are missing. Others come along and encourage us. Then there are those who need to do the encouraging. We simply need to show up and encourage. We aren’t asked to do the work (the parents did all the work), but we need to be the extra people in someone's life to cheer them on. You may be here one day and gone the next to a new place to encourage.
Do celebrate these times we get to be a part of the bigger picture? All those birds were singing and excited. I bet there was a dozen or more, but only two were the parents. The babies kept sitting on the roof flapping their wings. They were so excited of their new found freedom! Other birds sat with them to keep them safe, while the parents left for food. They were no longer safe in the nest.
Do we come along side and help others whose caregivers are tired or called away to something else. And are we singing while we are doing this? May you have opportunity this week, to help someone. Whether it be by praying, physically helping, or maybe just telling them something you appreciate about them. A word of encouragement goes a long way. We are so busy today focusing on ourselves and what we want, that we forget to tell people what we like or appreciate about them. If we are honest, we don’t stop and think about those types of things unless we are sitting at their funeral. At that point it is too late.
We are in this world together. The hands and feet of Jesus. We need to be their for one another and help out in whatever way He has called us to give. We all have different gifts, but each one is just as important. I hope you get to celebrate something this week!
No comments:
Post a Comment