A doves nest

Thanks for the encouraging words today on Freedom and acknowledging God’s glory, not man’s.

I have been thinking about you this week and Abiding Fathers as I look out my window and see a Momma mourning dove and a Poppa dove taking care of the little ones that have recently hatched. This is about the third year the dove or doves have made a nest outside the kitchen window where a fern plant used to hang.

Dedication

What a testimony to motherhood to see the dove so patiently sitting on the eggs for I guess maybe two or three weeks.  She never flies off for more than a moment to feed and get water; then she is back sitting and sitting and sitting… One has to admire her “dedication” to making sure the eggs are kept warm and protected.  It makes us truly appreciate the role of motherhood. How patient have our mothers been with us.

Then it happens!! The eggs hatch and the newborn birds appear—small, featherless, and very vulnerable, just like our children when they are small and under our care.

Working together

Slowly but surely the birds grow as Momma dove leaves occasionally and brings food back to the nest and gently places it in each bird’s mouth. It is usually at this time when the Momma dove leaves the nest that Poppa dove shows up to look after the young ones.  His job is obvious—take care of the little ones until Momma returns. Also, he will from time to time bring food back to the nest for Momma dove. He fills the role as a PROVIDER AND PROTECTOR AND ENCOURAGER.

In closing, the observation is clear, it takes both Momma and Poppa to successfully care for the young ones until they start flapping their wings and eventually decide they can, you guessed it—FLY!!!

What a picture the Lord has placed outside my window of AN ABIDING FATHER.
May the Lord continue to bless the work of your hands in restoring families by encouraging fathers to abide in their homes and be the spiritual leaders of their families.

Editor’s note: Thank you, Bill.
You painted such a wonderful word picture, we wanted to share your thoughts with others. And Bill, every morning and evening we are blessed by th cooing sounds of the dove in our neighborhood. A rich blessing from God’s creation!

Bill and Carolyn Foose plus all of us engaged in Abiding Fathers want to express our best wishes to all you fathers who are pursuing excellence in your role as ‘the dad…God wants you to be’. It is a high calling!

“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers”(Mal. 4.6a ESV). May it be so! Amen.