As predicted, the robins' nest
outside my kitchen window continued to provide poignant reminders of life’s
priorities. Here are three more.
Number One: Appreciate the brevity of childhood.
A mere two weeks passed between the
hatching of the three blue eggs and the nest needing a “Vacancy” sign. Those
little guys grew so fast, I could see changes in them between breakfast and
lunch time. I was glad I took pictures almost daily.
Thankfully, humans take a little
longer. But when the human nest once again reaches the “vacancy” stage, it may
feel like only two weeks have passed.
By the time I held my first
grandson, I thought I had a handle on how swiftly childhood goes. I was wrong.
How is it possible that he starts kindergarten in September? Last time I turned
around, I was sending his daddy out the door, book bag in hand.
But if childhood were not so temporary,
it would not be so precious. Don’t let it slip by uncelebrated and
unphotographed.
Number Two: Don’t let yourself get
distracted from your purpose.
A
robin’s only real objective is to make more robins. This singularity of purpose
carries the bird through its average two-year life span of mating, laying eggs,
incubating, feeding, protecting, flight training, migration, and starting all
over again. Robins don’t stop to consider whether or not they want to have a
family. They don’t seek careers or hobbies. They’re never distracted from their
purpose by the latest gadgets, relational conflicts, or politics.
Do
you know what your purpose in life is?
In
The Purpose Driven Life, author Rick
Warren lays out a five-part purpose for life that makes sense to me. I
encourage you to pick up a copy if you haven’t. It’s a useful tool for gauging
whether your daily activities line up with your life purpose. And as we already
know, life is too short to waste on things that don’t.
Number Three: Know when to let go.
The
day before the baby robins left the nest, tension surrounded them. They
balanced on its edge, preened, and stretched as much as the cramped quarters
would allow. When I got home from work the following day, only two babies
remained in the nest. Another perched on our back fence, king of all he
surveyed. Shortly afterwards, I had the privilege of watching the other two
flutter off within 20 seconds of each other. (I suppose it’s slightly possible
it had something to do with my opening the window in an attempt to capture them
on video. But I figure they wouldn’t have gone for it if it hadn’t been the
right time.)
How
sad would it be if those baby robins never let go of their nest? They’d never
fly, never fend for themselves, and never fulfill their purpose.
Whether
it’s your children, your career, your independence—or a host of other things,
there comes a time when you must let go. Recognizing that time takes great
discernment, but often we know it’s time yet don’t act. Pride, fear, stubbornness,
or our need for control take over.
Is
there something you need to let go of? Be honest. Then do it.
And
fly.
Well done Terrie. Truth spoken with clarity.
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