Proverbs 14
1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
A pair of cardinals has built a nest in a bush outside our sun porch window. I watched as this pair spent weeks hopping in and out of the bushes that flanked our back steps, trying to decide what would be the perfect spot for hatching their eggs. I thought they had settled into the bush closest to our house and somewhat sheltered under an eave… and next to a window we never open. But one day I ventured outside and investigated, and there was no nest in that bush!
After several weeks of watching this pair, I realized the female was indeed building a nest… in the bush just outside a window we leave open so that our cats can sit on the window sill and get fresh air through the screened opening. This little mother-to-be worked for days adding straw and materials to her nest and shaping it into a loose, sloppy little container for her grey-green eggs. There are at least 2 eggs there. She sits and sits… instinctively knowing what my internet research has taught me… that it will take about 13 days for the eggs to hatch, and then she and her mate (who is always nearby) will share feeding and nurturing duties for another 40+ days.
I am amazed at how wise this little bird and her mate are… how they know just what to do with the nest, the eggs, and their baby chicks. They know to distract other birds who come into our back yard by flying this way and that and chirping, making sure they stay far away from this nest. When a thunderstorm developed suddenly, I watched the female hover on the nest, carefully shielding the eggs with her own body as she rocked and swayed in the fragile limbs of this bush.
But I am also amazed at how foolish this bird was to choose a spot within inches of the ledge where my cats sun themselves… with a thin sheet of wire screen separating these two natural foes. Of course, there is no way the cats can get to the bird or her nest, but I don’t think she knows this. Usually, when one of the cats jumps on the window sill, the bird flies away to a nearby tree and chirps frantically until she deems it “safe” to return or the cat loses interest and jumps down.
I wonder how often we are like this mother bird. In so many ways, we are wise and use good judgment, but in some ways, we are very foolish. We make stupid choices that could have serious consequences. I’m watching my cats to make sure they don’t decide to eliminate the screen that separates them from the temptation of baby cardinals. But I don’t think the mother cardinal knows this… and in that way, choosing this particular spot for her nest was very foolish! Or maybe you aren’t making foolish choices, but you are hanging out with people who do. The Bible tells us to move away from fools… and foolish choices. So how are you doing? Where are you building your nests these days?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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