The Birds of the Air

I was just outside planting some flowers and watering the ferns that we purchased on Saturday.  In doing so, I discovered that there is a finch nest in one of the ferns hanging on our front porch.  Of course I immediately considered the irony of the mama bird outside the house nesting and this mama nesting inside the house.  I decided to do a little research and see what finch nesting is all about.  Here is what I discovered:

Although bird watchers may see the male with nesting material, the female builds the actual nest. The nest is cup shaped and made of twigs, grasses, and leaves. These finches will nest in a variety of artificial and natural cavites such as old woodpecker holes, hanging plants, and occasionally birdhouses.  The nest is located 5 to 7 feet above ground.


The female lays 2 to 6 bluish with fine speckling eggs. Incubation is done by the female for 12 to 14 days and the young will leave the nest in about 11 to 19 days after hatching.  During the incubation time and for about five days after the young have hatched, the male, will feed the female on the nest. He does this by regurgitating seed into the females mouth.  The female regurgitates the food to the nestlings. After the young have fledged, the parents continue to feed the young. The female may find a new mate and raise another brood while the male continues to feed the young. House finches have been known to raise more than two broods in a season.

I find some aspects of this nesting routine so fascinating, while the whole regurgitation thing is rather disgusting.  I'm also not keen on the female finding a new mate and raising a new brood.  It doesn't seem fair to the male.  The short incubation period is very appealing, but to think that the babies are gone from the nest less than three weeks later is rather sad. 

I have been fighting against giving in to worry and fear about our adoption for the past few days.  I can just feel the angst in my soul and it is yucky.  Today I asked God to flood me with His peace.  There is no other way to deal with the uncertainly that goes along with this whole process.  I keep trying to think "big picture," but sometimes the small picture of a girl I love but have never met wins out and I just ache to be with her.  In my desire for her to be here NOW, I tend to lose sight of the fact that apparently NOW is not in God's plan for us.  So...we wait and I will work on putting my worry to rest. 

Matthew 6:25  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.