My dear friend, Kathy Elrod, is our guest writer this week. Enjoy as she shares a beautiful illustration of God’s love from nature. Thank you, Kathy, for this story from your heart to bless ours.

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God sometimes teaches me faith lessons through the simplest things in my life. As most of you know, I love Cardinals, and I love birds. I look for them all the time when I’m outside. I love to watch them. A few weeks ago, I opened my front door one afternoon and saw that a bird had built a nest in my front door wreath, which happens to be a Cardinal wreath that my friend gave me for Christmas. It has a Cardinal bird on it!

As I’ve watched this nest over the past few weeks, God has taught me some very valuable faith lessons that I want to share with you today.

THE NEST – ADVANCE PREPARATION: That Momma bird prepared her nest well in advance of the time that she would need it to place her eggs in.  She intricately WOVE the straw and twigs to PREPARE the perfect place for her babies.

Something about that wreath looked attractive and appealing to her and made her want it. This reminds me of how our lives should be. We should display Christ’s love in such a way that the world sees that love and wants to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Momma Bird knew that the wreath was in a safe, peaceful place, out of the wind, the rain and the storms, just like Jesus is our safe place in the storms of life.  Winds and hurricanes may surface around us, but in Him, we have the promise that He is always with us and He will never leave us or forsake us. 

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

“He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.“ Deuteronomy 31:8

WEAVING THE NEST: This reminds me of our Heavenly Father and how He intricately weaves the events of our lives, both good and bad, to bring Himself glory and bring good for us. The longer I live, I CONTINUE to see this more and more. It may not always look like it’s good. I surely know that from losing my son Brent. But as time goes on, I CONTINUE to see how God has used Brent, even in his death, to bring others to Himself.  Even right now, God is still working and weaving a TAPESTRY that only He could weave.  Right now, all we see are the strings and the threads on the back of the TAPESTRY, but God is weaving a masterpiece that only He can see.  We have to TRUST him, even when it doesn’t make sense.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

PROMISE: That nest shows me a promise that something different is coming.  That reminds me of these verses about Heaven. “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.” John 14:2-3

As most of you know, I lost my sweet Sister, Melba, recently.  After my son Brent, died, Melba began to attend Pathway Church. I would see her there and sit with her.  She would come with her grandchildren, and she was a faithful attender, until she got cancer last summer and started chemo treatments.

She went to Heaven on May 13^th.  At her service, Mark McGuire told about the first time she came to Pathway.  She told him that it was because of a promise she made to Brent.  I never knew that was the reason she came, until her funeral!  Brent had invited her to come and hear him preach, and she never made it before he died.  So she was keeping her promise to him, even though he was gone to Heaven. Fast forward a few years. As Pathway began to look for a permanent location, Melba became an integral part of that search. When the current location became available, she told me that Pathway needed this building, and that she was trying to help them get it.  From an invitation from a 20-year-old pastor kid, 5 ½+ years ago, to now at the present, look out how God has intricately woven that tapestry to allow Pathway to thrive at this time NOW.

“And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion.”  ESTHER 4:15

THE EGGS: NEW LIFE : When the time was right, Momma began to lay her eggs. At first, there were four.  Then on Mother’s Day, there were 5.  I did some reading, and Momma won’t sit on the eggs until she has laid them all. Once that happened, Momma sat on the nest to help her babies get ready for their new birth.  In the same way, Christ helps us grow and mature in our Christian walk. When we come to Christ, we are new creatures.  He helps us ready ourselves to live the life that He has called us to.

BROKENNESS: Eventually when the time was right, the babies broke out of their shells, and there was new life: 5 adorable, feathery baby birds that are so cute I can’t get it over it. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you will find refuge. Psalm 91:4

This reminds me of when we are born into God’s family as newborn believers.  We are new creatures, just like these birds are.  The former is passed away, and we look different, just as they look different now. The shells had to break so the birds could get to their new life.  The broken shells remind me of my broken life. All of us are broken, whether we want to admit it or not. We live in a fallen world. But God’s Word says this:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 

BEAUTY FROM BROKENNESS: These babies have brought me so much joy.  I tear up when I look at them.  I’ve tried to take pictures and learn from what I’m seeing. I’m enjoying seeing them each day, as they grow and change and mature.  They are beautiful little creations. These new birds remind me of the joy that comes from knowing Jesus.  No joy can compare with the joy that comes when we have an intimate relationship with the One who gave His very life to rescue us from eternal damnation.

CLOSE IN THE NEST: These babies are so close in the nest. They are all in there together.  This reminds me that we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.  We weren’t meant to do this life alone.  We need the fellowship, encouragement, and love that comes from being with other believers in the body of Christ. This reminds me of Brent’s last sermon: “THE BEAUTY OF THE BODY.” Friends will share your joys and also share your burdens. 

God still uses broken things. Broken crayons still color.

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Thank you, Kathy for sharing this week. Thank you all for reading and sharing our blogpost. There are lessons of God’s love all around us if we only take the time to look for them. Please feel free to share your comments, experiences and encouragement.

May God bless you and your family with a wonderful celebration of country and family this 4th of July.