Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Which Came First ...The "Nest" or the "Egg"?



Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest. ~Robert Montgomery


The Eastern Bluebird that built this nest in our old backyard had it right.

You see, I watched as the bluebird flew back & forth to the little wooden birdhouse, carrying bits of pine straw found in the woods behind our property, or tiny twigs or bits of animal hair in order to make the softest, most secure, most important spot for it's little ones to arrive. Building the nest was an all-consuming task, lasting for days as Momma & Papa Bluebird got things just right. Tucking in new pieces of pine straw here, pulling and fluffing over there, the bluebird had only one thing on it's mind...building it's nest. It had to get ready!

Soon, Momma Bluebird started laying eggs, one each day for several days. The prettiest blue color you ever did see! Guess what happened then? The focus changed from the nest to their new eggs! The Momma had to keep her eggs nice and warm so that they would soon hatch. The bluebirds stopped making their nest the #1 priority. Sure, it was very important to shelter them and keep them safe, warm, & secure, but it was the little eggs inside that moved to the #1 spot of importance.

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We all desire to make a wonderful, warm & inviting "nest" of our own, don't we? I know that I truly love to make a beautiful, welcoming home! It's something I really really enjoy! But what is our true priority when building our "nests"? Is it the "nest"? Glory for ourselves? Or is it the "eggs"?

Is our priority our "nest", our house? Do we spend too much time focusing on the counter that needs to be cleaned, or the pillows that need to be arranged just right, or (dare I say) looking for/writing about ideas on the web? Are we too busy to play legos with our kids because we're consumed with a decorating project? Do we spend so much time keeping house that we fail to notice those people in our house?

Or is our priority ourselves? Are we focused on keeping our house in tip-top shape because we want others who visit to be impressed with our amazing cleaning or decorating skills? Do we spend more time worrying about how our tablescape is a reflection of us as a homemaker than about relaxing and having a fun time with our guests, making them the most important part of the evening? Are we in a subconscious "competition" to be the best *fill in the blank* so that everyone will think we're the most awesome thing since the Dairy Queen Blizzard was invented?

What is your #1 priority when it comes to building your own nest?

I'll be honest with you all here (raising my hand sheepishly) and say that there are occasions when my priority shifts :/. Sometimes I start to care too much about what my living room curtains say about ME, wondering if others will think I'm a good decorator, instead of focusing on blessing my family with my loving choices. Sometimes I get a little annoyed when a family member wants my attention while I'm working on a blog post, or arranging my bookshelves. I'm not perfect. None of us are! :) Now, there's nothing wrong with making your home a beautiful place to be, I'm all for it! But I really try to make sure my top priority remains the people in my life! That's really why we do what we do! Making a welcoming, beautiful home is a wonderful act of love for our family and friends!

What's all this about an "egg"? Well, the "egg" in our own lives is where our #1 priority should be when it comes to Creating A Welcoming Home. It's the people in our lives that matter! Our family and friends and neighbors. Making a home for them to feel welcomed, encouraged, and loved. A home that, yes, looks inviting, but the most inviting thing about it is the smile on your face as you greet them with open arms, saying,

"Welcome! I'm so glad to see you! Please, make yourself AT HOME!!!".

11 comments:

Victoria Hayden said...

Stacey, what a great post! I can so relate to this and many time's have to stop and realize what is the most important...my family. I care more about making our home comfortable, welcoming and where love can be felt for my family than anyone. I of course want things to be beautiful around us, not because I am materialistic, but more because when our home is in order our family feels comfortable. That is my main focus...I do love to decorate, it is a passion of mine, but always in my head is the vision of everyone I love enjoying spending time in it together. Have a wonderful evening.

Hugs,
Victoria

WhisperWood Cottage said...

Such a sweet post, Stacey. It stirs some questions that each of must consider. For me, decorating is not about being perfect. It is about creating a home environment that is relaxing. It is also a form of creative expression...an art if you will. I enjoy the entire process...from planning, to doing, to capturing it in photos. It is definitely up to each of us to find that balance of all things that are important in our lives. Thank you for making me feel at home here at your nest! :)

Cheryl said...

What a good post. I like to have a clean, inviting house as well. I know when my kids were little it drove me nuts to have the house messy and with kids well, that's unavoidable. I had to learn how to let go of doing the laundry or vaccuming sometimes because having a tea party with my daughter was more important or building a rocket ship with legos with my son was the top priority. My little's were my priority. Now they are older and they still are my priority. LOL, if you look at our house today you will see I still put the housework on hold when it ocmes to spending time with my family.

~jenna said...

what a blessing this post is! thank you for taking the time to write it as well as making me feel better that i am not alone :) thanks for the reminder to stop and re-focus!!

The Blonde Duck said...

Beautiful post. It's so easy to get caught up in the trival.

Isaac's Family said...

Great post Stacey!!!

Stacey said...

Thanks for the birthday well wishes and sweet sentiments. Hope all is well with you and your family:)

Val said...

Interesting post. I'm not an obsessive cleaner, by any means, but I am very interested in presenting a certain image with my home. I sometimes worry that things aren't quite right, or that it's a bit too quirky, and I find myself surprised when people come in and oh and ah.

Lately, I've had to think more about making the house kid friendly (married 4 1/2 years, no kids yet), as we've been hosting a lot of church youth group functions at my house.

Jen - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said...

Oh my friend....such wonderful words!! You cultivate your nest (and egg) so wonderfully...we are drawn to it. :)

Seizing My Day said...

I must say first... the bird! God created animals! right?! ;) I do stray a bit from nesting with my wee little family... to tend the garden, clean, decorate, shop, and more recently BLOG! lol! I try very hard to balance... I don't ever want to loose sight of God & family! always first! everything else is 'stuff'... Beautifully written post! New visitor! must find the follow button now!
Just Jenn~ www.seizingmyday.com

Amber B. said...

Great post, great reminder to keep focused on what is truly important!!!