• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

June 26, 2018

A Family Emergency (of the bird variety)

One of my most favorite things to do this time of the year is to open up our windows and hear the birds chirping. Now, mind you, I don’t always enjoy hearing them REALLY early in the morning, but there is just something about their chirping that is so distinctively and cheerfully symbolic of these warmer days.

Recently, though, we began to notice more activity than usual. Our snowball tree was the object of great interest by two particular birds. They were flying in and out all day and we had no doubt about what was happening.

Sure enough, within a few days, a beautiful nest had taken shape. And soon after that, the mama robin could be seen perched upon the nest. When we would get close to the tree, she would be so very still. Hyper aware of our movements and so protective of her babies.

It became part of our daily ritual to check on the nest. We were always careful to keep our distance but we were just so anxious for the impending arrival of new life.

Then, one day, after my son had mowed the lawn he came into the house and said he was pretty sure that the eggs had hatched. The mama wasn’t there and he was certain he had seen the nest moving.

We all raced outside to confirm his suspicions and, sure enough, the little nest was moving and shaking. We smiled and quietly celebrated as though it was a new member of our own family.

The next afternoon I began to notice that there was quite a bit more squawking happening than usual. At first, I just thought that the robins were happily enjoying their new baby but then I began to observe a lot of activity in the tree. Birds of all different varieties were flying in and out of the tree and the robins were doing their best to keep them away from their precious nest. I watched as one of the robins chased a turtledove out of the tree following after it until it flew out of the yard.

And then, in an instant, it happened. What looked like a full-on bird brawl broke out among the tree branches. Mama and papa robin were flying around and squawking like crazy and in the blink of an eye, their tiny baby bird fell out of the tree just as a giant blue jay made his appearance. My daughter and I quickly ran outside (we had been observing all of this from the safety of the house) to check on the baby. The blue jay (rightfully intimidated by us) wisely fled the scene but mama and papa were loudly and wildly expressing their concern. The tiny peeps from the baby let us know that, thankfully, it was still alive.

By now, my husband and son had joined us outside. We were frantically trying to figure out what to do, mama and papa robin were frantically tweeting at us and getting ready to dive bomb our heads if necessary and it was just general mayhem there for a few moments. A quick search of the interwebs revealed that it was, in fact, a myth that you aren’t supposed to put birds back in the nest after they fall out so off to the garage went my husband to get a ladder while the rest of us stood guard over the baby. With gloves on his hands, my husband gently picked up the baby and my son and I held the ladder in place against the tree so he could climb up to the nest. My daughter waved her arms wildly at the parents to keep them from attacking her daddy as he attempted this rescue.

As soon as the little bird was back in the nest we hurried inside and observed the robins quickly flying home to their baby. It struck me that while we were in fact helping them, we had appeared as dangerous to them as that mean old blue jay.

And I couldn’t help but think about all of those times in our lives when God’s sovereign hand of love and protection feels like anything but.

In those moments when the disappointment or hurt or fear feel so completely overwhelming and you can’t understand how THIS thing you are going through could be part of God’s plan for your life.

How do we trust that what looks so bad can ever be good?

The mama and papa bird were only able to see and experience what was happening right in front of them. Their baby was in trouble. But we knew that the end result was going to be better. The baby was going to be safely returned to it’s nest. We couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t happen again, but we could help in that moment.

It seems to me that it’s in the middle of it all, when we can’t see beyond the circumstances, we begin to doubt God’s goodness. And when protection takes the shape of something else…something scary…something hard…something disappointing, we don’t recognize it. Because, in our minds, protection should always look like something safe.

But we were never promised safety.

What we were promised was the strong, mighty hands of our Father carrying us through our times of trouble.

 “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

I can look back at so many times in my own life when the circumstances that seemed so hard in the moment turned out to be God protecting me from something even worse.

What about you? I’d love to hear your stories of experiencing God’s hand of protection!

Thank you for meeting me here today dear friends,

 

 

 

21 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Faith, Good Thoughts

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Decorating a Metal Cart for an Office
Next Post: Office Makeover Update »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie S. says

    June 26, 2018 at 2:32 PM

    Love this post. Thank you for reminding me that some of the most difficult times are when He is watching over us the most.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 7:55 AM

      Thank you Debbie!

      Reply
  2. Freida says

    June 26, 2018 at 2:50 PM

    I’m usually not one who takes the time to leave a comment, but this post was just the reminder I needed today of His love and protection! Perfect timing! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 26, 2018 at 4:34 PM

      Oh I’m so glad it was timely for you Freida! Thank you for leaving a comment and for being apart of our community. 🙂

      Reply
      • Freida says

        June 26, 2018 at 7:37 PM

        I’d love to comment on every post because they are all so inspiring, but I had to be taken off my arthritis meds which has made things quite uncomfortable. But please know I read and love each one! ❤️

        Reply
        • At The Picket Fence says

          June 26, 2018 at 7:45 PM

          Oh I’m SO sorry to hear about your arthritis Freida and the pain you are experiencing! Just knowing you are reading the posts and enjoying them even if you are unable to comment means the world to me. Praying for relief for you! <3

          Reply
  3. Miss Kitty says

    June 26, 2018 at 3:50 PM

    Oh what a great story….and a great reminder for us to trust the Lord…thanks for sharing that!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 7:55 AM

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  4. Lin Mossgrove says

    June 26, 2018 at 4:37 PM

    Thank you so much for posting this. Could not have come at a better time in my life/day!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 7:55 AM

      I’m so glad it came at just the right time Lin!

      Reply
  5. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says

    June 26, 2018 at 6:22 PM

    Thanks for a wonderful post, Vanessa! I really enjoyed the verse in Zephaniah 3:17 and have written it out and put it in a holder on my kitchen window. How wonderful to know that God will quiet us with His love! Awesome! Blessings!

    Also, bless you all for helping out that little baby robin! You all did what your heart told you to do! God was happy, too, to see you helping His creation — that little bird! Bless you all!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 7:54 AM

      Isn’t that such a great verse Mary-Ann? So glad you enjoyed it and that you stopped by today. Blessings to you friend! ~ Vanessa

      Reply
  6. LeAnne says

    June 26, 2018 at 7:14 PM

    What a wonderful story….and a wonderful analogy. You’re right…sometimes it feels like we are flying solo through our trials, but how comforting it is to know our God is right there with us!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 7:53 AM

      Thank you so much LeAnne!

      Reply
  7. Patty says

    June 27, 2018 at 5:35 AM

    Thanks so much for this sweet post, Vanessa, it brought tears to my eyes – God is Good! We have birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and bunnies around our house and they bring such joy – watching them play, eat, build their nests, and show us their babies! The verse was especially needed today. I’m so glad you took the time to share it with us! 🙂

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 7:53 AM

      Thank you so much Patty!

      Reply
  8. Diane says

    June 27, 2018 at 6:09 AM

    This is such a great story and illustration of our Father’s love for us. It’s so true, too. We have gone through years of great struggle and challenge, yet, our Lord has been constant with his love and presence.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 7:53 AM

      He really is so constant isn’t He Diane? Thank you so much for stopping by!

      Reply
  9. Margaret says

    June 27, 2018 at 10:40 AM

    Your story was a really good illustration of God’s protection and provision.
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 27, 2018 at 11:48 AM

      Thank you so much Margaret!

      Reply
  10. Connie Brown says

    June 27, 2018 at 10:35 PM

    Through God’s divine Grace and Mercy He has carried me through colon cancer 3 times since 2013.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Why We’ve Chosen Vacations Over Projects April 26, 2022
  • A New Look for the Family Room March 1, 2022
  • Christmas Kitchen and Family Room December 19, 2021
  • Christmas Home Tour Part One December 10, 2021
  • Easy Hot Cocoa Station November 21, 2021

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence