It's Time To Go

“It’s Time To Go”
Passage: Psalm 103:17 – “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children .”
For the last few years a couple of barn swallows have built their nest in our porch entry way. I am not a huge bird lover and didn’t like them dive-bombing my head when I went out to get the mail so I knocked down their nest. The persistent little creatures were not deterred by my efforts so they continued to bring their mud and rebuild their nest. One week while we were gone on vacation they completed the nest and we returned home to momma bird sitting on the completed nest. I’m not so heartless to knock down a nest with a momma and her eggs so we left it alone once again. Before long we heard the chirps from the fuzzy gray babies and knew they had arrived. Yesterday when I went out the door I was surprised to see three fully feathered birds perched on the edge of the nest. It looks like everything is going according to plan and any day now they will realize there is a much bigger world outside their sod home and even outside our porch and they will take that first scary downward dive toward a new life!
Our grandson Will starts kindergarten this next Friday at Oklahoma Christian School. I know how hard it was for my children to leave and go to school but it’s even harder for me to watch this firstborn grandchild leave the nest and enter the school world. It’s a big step and he is very excited and ready to learn but his mom and I know that he will face hurtful words and heartbreaking situations as he ventures out into the world and we would like to keep him from safe and protected a little longer. We have to trust his sweet young teacher Miss White will take care of him. We have to trust the school staff to ensure his education to be challenging and multifaceted. We have to trust ultimately in God’s Word parents and grandparents as we train him up in the Lord.
Our families are so much like the little barn swallows. We have our children for a while who are so dependent upon us for their very existence. They don’t know a lot about the world beyond what they can see but before long realize there is much more to see and learn. We are not as confident as a momma bird when they take their first dive into the world. We want to fly with them and keep them under our wing (so to speak) but soon realize we can’t follow them forever.
Amazingly God instilled in barn swallows the ability to return to the same nest each year so each year they build their nest in our porch alcove. I like to think they like the place and it brings fond memories of their growing up years (or in their case growing up weeks). I guess I will be a little more patient next year when the birds return and make a mess of our porch…it will seem a little like family coming home.