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!!!".