Blue Jay's Eve

It's the eve of the 1st day of school.

It's as though I feel that the moments of WONDER will stop.

The moments of wonder with my children will cease...

Almost like my time for noticing wonders with them will be gone.

Um.

Not really.

I looked out the window just now.

A gorgeous blue jay was perched on our wooden fence.
I have not seen a blue jay for years.
It felt like a gift.

WONDERS will always be present.

Since writing this, that blue jay appeared again. This time, fighting with another bird in a neighbor's tree.
The absolute beauty of the blue jay, mixed with its often angry, aggressive, protective temperament. 

Reminds me of my boys this morning.
Best of playmates. Sometimes. Bickering over toys. Sometimes.

The boys had their routine 20 minutes to play Wild Kratts on PBS kids online. And you know what animal popped up today? 
A blue jay.

In the span of this short morning 3 images of blue jays flashed in my mind.

A reminder of some kind... 
The beauty and the imperfect. 
The beauty and the aggressive protectiveness.

How much does this describe us, at times?

"The blue jay is noisy, bold and aggressive. 

It is a moderately slow flier when unprovoked.

It may also be aggressive towards humans who come close to its nest."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_jay)

When unprovoked, I can be a "moderately slow flier."

When provoked? When in protective mode? Oooo, better watch out.
(Isn't this how we are wired, how our instincts drive us?)

"Blue jay: This bright blue bird is known for 

the crest on top of its head- and its feisty attitude.

If you ever wonder what the blue jay in your yard is thinking, that crest gives a pretty good clue: 

the higher the crest, 

the higher the jay's level of aggression." 

(Hannah Schardt, http://blog.nwf.org/2011/12/4-real-life-angry-birds/)

"Blue jays are known for their intelligence and complex social systems with tight family bonds."

(http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_jay/lifehistory)

So as we send off our kids once again into the world outside the safety and protection of our family's walls...

• Let's be in watchful anticipation of the WONDERS our children and teens will take in. The WONDERS they will discover, and be able to share with us with from their own worldview, their own vantage point.
• Let's be in watchful awareness of what others may bring into our kid's and teen's perspectives. GUARD our young ones' hearts, minds, spirits. Like those blue jays, keep hold of our "tight family bonds" and "be aggressive" in the battle against the ugliness the world may introduce to our young ones. There may be times for us to be blue jays and go from "moderately slow" with our "strength in quiet confidence" (Isaiah 30:15) to showing our "higher level of crest" to guide and protect our children, to lead them through into safe places.
• While we have these precious years to be entrusted in raising our young ones, let's keep this bird-like balance. The balance between allowing for flight and guarding the nest. Hmm.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

with all your soul, and with all your strength. 

These words I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 

Repeat them to your children. 

Talk about them when you sit in your house 

and when you walk along the road, 

when you lie down and when you get up."

(Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

Luke wanted to pray before dinner last night. He clasped his little hands and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Thank you for my Legos.

Thank you for there being Legos at.my.school.

I didn't know about that."

WONDERS.

During the "slumber party" the older boys attempted last night in their little Toy Story sleeping bags, I was singing "Amazing Grace" softly to Ben as he grew drowsy in my arms. "I once was lost, but now am found..." Zachary looked toward me and had a puzzled tone. "YOU once were lost? What did you do?" I thought it was a spiritual question, so I answered, "Well, I read my Bible, I prayed..." He interrupted me, "You had your Bible with you when you were lost?!"

WONDERS. Stories.

The times of wonder, times of stories with these boys are not over now that summer is closing its doors.

The boys will soon be gone for hours of the day, in a completely different setting than here at home. New people, new influences, new surroundings, new routine.

But instead of me sensing a loss of the enjoyment of wonder-filled moments with them, instead those moments will just be super-condensed. 
They will be bringing home with them the wonder from their school days and building on those memories once they are back in the familiar walls of home.

This fence is perch where the blue jay sat. So fleeting. 
Then it flew away and was gone.

"He has made everything appropriate in its time."

(Ecclesiasties 3:11)

Wasn't it just the end of May, when, instead of goodbyes, my concerns swirled around finding ways to make the summer days pass meaningfully and without strife.
And how would I rate this summer? 
Imperfect, but just right for us. 
Strife, yes. But many memories, for sure. 
Much training, much discipline, much laughter, many hugs.

For some reason, this song is floating around my mind this morning:

"Don't Dream It's Over"

"There's a battle ahead 
many battles are lost.
But you'll never see the end of the road
While you're traveling with me.
Hey now, hey now
Don't dream it's over.
Hey now, hey now
When the world comes in
They come, they come
To build a wall between us
We know they won't win." 
(Neil Finn)

"He surrounded him, cared for him, and protected him as the pupil of His eye.

He watches over His nest like an eagle and hovers over His young; 

He spreads out His wings, catches him, and lifts him up on His pinions. 

The Lord alone led Him... 

He made him ride on the heights... 

He nourished him."

(Deuteronomy 32:10-13)

As a benediction of sorts, here is what we can do as we face the world out there, blue jay/eagle style: 

Blessings,
Elizabeth


P.S. Photo credit for blue jay picture: http://irvingparkgardenclub.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/blue-jay1.jpg