bird's nest

Photo by Lauren Ulm

There's a bird’s nest in my hanging begonia.  The other day, I stood on the patio chair to water the plant and one of the birds almost flew right into my face.  I was startled; my husband was not.

“That’s what bird’s do,” he said.  “They build nests.”

I think of the young couple who came to church on Sunday with their three year old daughter and two foster children.  Their mother is in jail on abuse charges, and they’re anxious about seeing her in court.

Standing there outside the church, watching all three of those babies nuzzle into their parents, I thought of that old saying:  “The tree that shelters the nest participates in its mystery."  It’s true for begonias and people, too. 

Tell us: what mysteries are you sheltering?