Decision Making Modeled in Nature

A few years ago, I noticed two birds building a nest in a flower stand on our back porch. I’ve never been a bird watcher, but I would sit on the floor by the window and be enthralled. One bird would sing a song, the other would come along with nest building supplies, and then they would get to work. The birds were a singing team. I was so excited to be able to see their nest and the idea of being able to see baby birds up close! As the nest neared completion, my birds disappeared. I was sorely disappointed. My spying eye, more like trips out on the porch, may have made them feel unsafe. I researched the birds and found they are the Carolina Wren. The Carolina Wren is resourceful, building nests in hollow trees, door wreaths, shelves, and even boots or coat pockets left outside the garden shed. Wrens can build 3-5 bird nests each spring before picking the one that is the best fit for them. Sometimes they build just the outer shell and wait to put the lining into the nest of their choosing. What a beautiful example of decision making modeled for us in nature. I find it beautiful that God created a bird that would create options for itself. The Wrens on my back porch did not waste time or energy. They worked hard to build an option, and it is ok they went with another one that was a better fit for them. So often, we think we have to know exactly what we are going to do with our college choices, careers and lives. But that is not the case. Invest your all in the “nest” you are building. Don’t be disappointed when you realize it is not the nest for you. It was not a waste of time. God uses each nest we build for a purpose in building us into the person He wants us to be.