We're Expecting......

WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE!
-Whos (from Horton Hears a Who)

As I was walking out in the yard this week, a long strand hanging down from the raftors of our second floor deck caught my attention.  It looked a bit like a tail on a kite...white and drifting in the wind.  i was sure one of the kids had tied up something wierd for some unknown reason.

i walked over thinking I'd just pull it down....but as I arrived,

i noticed their home...

built up underneath a board and nuzzed in the corner all cozy like....

I didn't touch anything but I could feel my excitement begin to build and

I wondered if perhaps it was a remnant from some other year past when I had not taken the time to notice...

I ran up the stairs of the deck...

tried to find the place where the boards met underneath...

and

I stooped down

with my bad eyes and all

and I stared and stared between the cracks to see

if i could see

what i wanted to see...

There all pushed together in the center of the home mama bird had created on my home,

was the most beautiful sight...

four tiny eggs,

all laying

dark blue and speckled....Robins eggs I thought but wasn't sure...

anticipation for the long wait ahead mounted.

I find that I worry about those four tiny eggs,

life waiting to be hatched and birthed...

and wondered what they might be able to teach me this Easter Season as they incubate all

warm and cozy not even knowing I exist.

I worred that the mama had left them 'cause I seemed to never see her...

when it rained this week,

I went out on the deck and put a large cooler over the spot where they rested so if

any rain blew under the roof of the deck, my new found friends to be

would not get wet or cold.....how silly is that but it sure made me feel better about them being in the rain....

Two nights ago,

i went to the laundry room

and

i saw her

and i believe she saw me..

or at least I imagined her looking at me...

and we

communicated in a secret language of sort...

mother to mother.....

for

this is a precious time..

I promised I'd do what I could to protect her and her expectation--like there is something i can do in nature...

We have a raccoon in our neighborhood...

i think she is in a good spot where he can't get to her...

last night i was all afraid that after the

birthday crew tied dyed on the deck..she would be gone...but

I guess it was good practice for all the noise that is about to come her way...

I went out about midnight,

turned on the light on the deck and looked down between the cracks to check on her...

all i could see was her tail feathers and the rest of her covered her eggs all fluffed up...

As a holy week begins...

waiting is good practice for me..

and perhaps,

watching these little birds...

the

little who's about to be birthed...

will teach me about the

mystery of the wait.

Expectations.......never know what will come but

for today..

this saturday after birthing a sermon and staying up with slumber party noise...

I'm thankful

to the mama Robin

for

choosing to gift me with the chance to watch new life being born....

she doesn't know it....

or maybe she does...

But

We're Expecting...

dont' know what..

But

just Expecting something.