The swallow’s nest was hidden Up above the bales of hay And as I opened up the door She quickly swooped away
She thinks it is not possible That I could be her friend Though it was I who built this barn Where each Spring she comes again
And can’t believe her little ones Are safe when I draw near Nor knows I listen with a smile When I their voices hear
Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds Luke 12:24 NKJV
The Swallows Nest by Peter Caligiuri copyright 2024 - all rights reserved
While working with one of our in-laws to revise the home school composition and poetry book which we released last year, I stumbled across this poem from a few years ago. With all of the craziness in the news and modern life in general, it helps to take a step back, just breathe and remember that God is in control. He knows and has designed our every moment and I love how Jesus reminds us of this by asking the simple question:
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:27 NIV
Hearing the song That the Mockingbird sings And seeing the colors As the Bluebird takes wing
And catching the fragrance That the Hummingbirds seek In the flowers that grow By the side of the creek
And all of those moments That are finest of fine Are the sweet simple blessings That Our Father designed
I paired today's poem with a lullaby I wrote many years ago when our children were small. The first verse comes from an older children's poem by Rose Fyleman, to which I added to more verses and a chorus. I do hope that it's gentle melody will be a blessing for you. Though I have this under copyright, please feel free to use it with your own friends and family, if you like it.
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5 NIV
Now I lay me down to sleep I pray Thee Lord my soul to keep If I should die before I wake I pray Thee Lord my soul to take Amen
When I was small, I remember my mom coming in almost every night and praying these words with me. I never really thought about their meaning, or wondered where they came from. It was just sort of the finish line for my day, where I crossed over from busyness to dreamland. About forty years later, when I was reading through Psalm Three, I suddenly realized to my astonishment, that the source of my mother’s prayer was in this prayer of King David. Here he is fleeing from an army, led by, not a foreign enemy, but by none other than his own son Absalom. Imagine David’s feelings. He must have been both sorrowful and discouraged as he realizes that after years of trying to figure out how to be a good father, he has utterly failed, and Absalom has completely missed the boat in his relationship both with David and with God. Then added to this, David must face the very real possibility that with Absalom’s army right on his heels that if things don’t go well, he and all his men might be killed in the morning. Whether we are facing situations far less dire than David’s, or if matters of life and death are on our doorstep, today’s verse offers us both encouragement and comfort. We can be encouraged because, if we belong to Jesus, we are His, both on earth and as well as in Heaven, and can pray in faith, “Now I lay me down to sleep” But we also can lie down in peace, even if things go terribly wrong, because whatever happens, God will sustain us. God has promised to be our strength, our friend and our deliverer in whatever lies ahead. I wrote a little poem yesterday, which though meant for children, could be every one of ours tonight, and I pray that God keep you safely in the palm of His nail pierced hand. He loves and cares for you and is calling you to come to Him!
Christ My All in All
Before I sleep I ask the Lord My soul to safely keep I tell Him that the road seems long And the hills rise up so steep
Then He tells me He has promised To lead the way ahead And tonight stay by my side While I lie in my bed
Then in the morning when the light Comes shining on my wall I trust Him that whatever comes Christ will be my all in all
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