Right next to our back deck is a forsythia bush- beautiful yellow flowers in the spring, dense green leaves all summer. A good location for a robin’s nest; except that Bryan and I invade the space every time we eat on the deck (which following a long New England winter, is every chance we get!) I am amazed at the shape and structure of the nest- wonderfully suited for four little blue eggs and a mother bird to warm them.

It makes me think of the nests we parents make for our babies. We carve out a space in our home- sometimes it’s a large closet, a former office, a cradle at the end of the bed. We may outfit the area with designer fabrics or hand-me-down blankets; it doesn’t matter which; birds use twigs and mud and grass!! The “stuff” of the nest isn’t the most important thing; what’s most important is the love and care parents use to make a safe and welcoming space for their baby in their home and in their heart. A loving nest that is perfectly suited for the new life that will live there.

And then a human invades the space.  Not quiet and serene like a little blue egg, but an unpredictable and squawking baby who is up all hours of the day and night!   They can certainly disrupt the quiet, but they can’t disrupt the foundation of the nest.

The same love and care that went into building the nest is still there when the baby cries and calls in the middle of the night. The same love and care is there when you rock a sick child back to sleep. And the same love and care will be there when you pace the floors waiting for your teenager to walk in at curfew.

Building a nest for your child is about love and safety and welcome. It is true for a tiny infant, it’s true for a toddler, and it’s especially true for a teenager – they all need to feel loved, safe, and welcomed. Everything you do to help your child feel safe and loved is a gift to them. Take a cue from the mama and papa bird:
“How often I have longed to gather you children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” Matthew 23:37b

As you walk into your child’s room today, notice one small object of beauty or love you put there to welcome or affirm your child. Believe in yourself! You are a good parent who is providing love and safety for your chicks.