Wren in a Box

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.     Job 12:7-10 (NIV)

There are about nine or ten bird boxes on our property. We don’t own much land, but I’ve got boxes wedged into just about every place imaginable around our home. Most I made myself and strategically placed in accordance with articles about where best to put them for optimal use by our feathered friends.

Then a mysterious box arrived in the mail this spring.

It is always interesting to receive a package, especially when it is from a friend with whom you don’t have much contact anymore. Upon opening the parcel, I was surprised to find a pre-made bird box which came from over 2,000 miles away! Apparently my friend Will has been reading my website. Although grateful for the thought (and expense) of making and sending me this box, I couldn’t think of any place to put it. All the “best” spots were already taken, along with the second and third best, down to the tenth.

But spring/summer were fast approaching, and I wanted to at least put the box up somewhere, especially since Will had gone to the trouble of making and sending it to me.

So, I stuck the new bird box on a pole, and wired it to a cage that has a blue spruce tree in it. Although the wire is good to keep the local deer from eating our tree, it’s not real attractive for the birds to nest in, since it lends itself to predators climbing up to the box. Plus the box is in the cold shade in the morning, and hot sun in the afternoon and evening. At least the wise people in the know say it shouldn’t be all that attractive to the birds, especially when there are better places close by to nest in.

I haven’t spent much time studying all the bird boxes around our house to see if birds are nesting in them. But from casual observation, Will’s appeared to be the only box occupied when I took this picture! The one made of fresh lumber, and placed at perhaps the “least” attractive location of all.

Maybe these birds didn’t read man’s recommendation about this nesting business.

Maybe I shouldn’t either!

I really like the above Scripture.

Just as long as we are careful to worship the Creator, and not creation.

Have a great day.