A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a beautiful little bird commandeering and subsequently ruining my nifty turtle shell conversation piece to make her nest in. Since then, she has been faithfully sitting on her eggs and they hatched not long ago. So, yesterday morning I walked out on the porch and the little ones were sitting on the edge of the shell with their heads poking out. I walked over to examine them more closely and took this picture.
Suddenly one of them flew out and lit upon a fishing rod that I had on the porch. I looked at the other one and it took off too and flew over and lit on my truck. The mama sailed around chirping at them and just like that, poof, they were gone. They left the nest and weren’t coming back. It was kind of sad this morning looking at the empty turtle shell nest.
There comes a time in every parent’s life when their children leave the nest. My wife and I were lamenting the fact that one of our sons seems too busy to ever call and in fact doesn’t even answer our phone calls or texts. I mentioned to my wife that it reminded me of those little chicks leaving the nest. Once they leave; they leave. It is so sad to me.
I must admit it does bother me and it hurts that he is too busy to even check in for a moment or two. My wife and I reminisced about raising our children and all the good times we had watching them grow up and attending their ball games, swimming and water skiing, going on vacations, hunting, and fishing, and so on during their childhood.
My children’s childhood was not like mine. Our immediate family was full of love and fun times. We did everything together as a family and love abounded. My childhood was miserable and lonely. Despite being a star athlete, my father did not ever attend a single game I played in, even the state championship in which I was the pitcher. He took no interest in me and looked to knock me around at every opportunity.
I was angry with my father until the day he died because he abused me and beat me within an inch of my life daily. But God led me to forgive him one day. I admit I could not forget entirely, but I did forgive, and once I did I made it a point for over the decade that no matter where I was in the world I called him every Sunday without fail and I watched after him during his last days. It got to the point where he would scold me if I called him later than expected because he so looked forward to those calls. I’m glad I started calling him like that and stuck with it.
This all got me to thinking about how it must grieve God when we ignore Him and immerse ourselves in our busy lives. He did not raise us to leave the nest and never return. The Bible tells us that we were created to have fellowship with God and Sunday is His chosen day of spending the entire day exclusively with Him. That is not to say we can spend a few minutes in church once a week and our fellowship obligation is satisfied, but it is intended to be a full day’s devotion to Him. It doesn’t exclude the rest of the week either. We should pray daily throughout the day and consult Him on everything. We can only do this if we love Him and I for one do and I appreciate what He did to save me from myself.
As my wife and I discussed the situation we wondered if there is anything we have done to make our son angry with us but could not come up with anything. We assume that he is just absorbed with his work, children, and friends. I urge you, if your parents are still alive, to give them a call now and then and even consider going to see them. One day they will be gone and you too will grow old and how nice it will be if your kids who have busy lives of their own sacrifice a few moments of it to you, even if they are bored silly and it is just for a moment or two to tell them you love them.
God gave guidelines to Himself concerning how the relationship between children and their parents should be. It even comes with a promise – A long rewarding life.
Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”