Grandpa asked me to help him with cleaning the brush and small trees growing in the fence around Great Grandma's vegetable garden. Years ago Great Grandpa put up the fence to keep the neighboring farm's goats out of Great Grandma's garden. Over the years the trees, vines, and weeds had come up in the fence rows prompting Grandpa to get the backhoe out to dig up the trees and pull up the fence.
Grandpa pulled up the brush with no problems on the east side of the garden, but on the west side, about half way through, as Grandpa raised the shovel to bring down on the tree, a turtle dove suddenly flew out of the tree. Grandpa stopped and asked me, " Does she have a nest in the tree?" I looked, and sure enough there was a nest full of eggs.
The mother bird had flown to another tree a few feet away and was watching intently.
Grandpa said, " Well, we'll have to wait until the eggs hatch and they leave the nest. "
We decided the garden had gone this long, what are a few more weeks? We left the area and worked in another area the yard. We could see the mother bird slowly work her way back to the nest.
So Grandpa and I will wait. We've wanted to clean up the garden for a long time and when we got the chance we have to wait.
We find ourselves waiting now, not because of the birds, but due to the pandemic. Waiting to be with family, friends, and being able to go places. We are not able to go to church, school, or to a favorite restaurant. For weeks we've been confined to our homes, told to stay at least 6 feet away from others, only able to talk to
extended family through messenger, Facebook or phone. It's been frustrating and sometimes we wonder if God has been listening to our prayers or if He cares about our suffering.
In Matthew 8: 23 -27, even the apostles at one time wondered if Jesus cared. They were afraid that they were about to drown in a storm that had suddenly arose on the lake. Jesus was asleep on the boat they were in and the apostles frantically awakened him. Jesus said, " Why are you afraid? You have such little faith. " Then Jesus rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm.
God has not turned a deaf ear towards us. He is not silently sitting back watching us suffer. He is working for our behalf. His timing is perfect.
We learn to depend on Him, and realize that when we are weak, He is strong. Our trials teach us to wait on the Lord, depend, and trust in Him.
This won't last forever, it will end, and we will come through it stronger and wiser.
Grandpa and I will wait on the mother turtle dove and her babies to leave the nest when they are ready, while we also wait on God to end this pandemic. Thank you God.
Please read John 16 : 33, Isaiah 40 : 31. James 5 : 16b. Matthew 8 : 23 –27 with the children.