Surprisingly, she’s still here. Day after day, earlier in the spring, a little wren stuffed twigs, fluff, and other tree bits into the base of the hanging planter on my deck. Despite humans coming and going and the precarious position of her nest, she has stayed. I joke that she must be a teenager based on the state of her “room.” The question that comes to my mind is, “Has she stayed too long in a place that should have been temporary?” Rather than resting and moving on, she built a home in a less-than-desirable location. Did she cross her wings over her chest and say, in bird speak, “I’m not budging! No way. No how”?

As I pondered her situation, I wondered if sometimes we stay too long and build a home (figuratively speaking) in a place God intends as temporary, just one point along our journey. Placing our hopes and dreams on a faulty foundation or stuffing them all into something not created for that purpose, like a person, a job, a position, or any number of things, can rob us of what God has in store. Do we also cross our arms and think, I’m not budging! No way. No how? Please note that I’m not speaking about marriage. Marriage is sacred in the Bible and is a covenant we enter into for life, so these thoughts are not about moving on from your marriage partner.

There are times when God places us in a situation for a season. Before I was married, I felt God’s hand leading me into a job with a ministry, and I knew he had planted me there. But I also knew when he released me to step into the next chapter of my life. Other times, God has gently nudged me into new areas of service or impressed upon me that it was time to let go of something that would eventually hinder me in fulfilling my call. Pastors often speak of God’s direction and his release when the time has come for them to move into a new area.

But we don’t need to be in ministry to experience God’s leading and timing. As a follower of Christ, God helps to guide us through life—opening and closing doors as we trust him. Even an open door doesn’t necessarily mean we should walk through it. We still need his guidance even when everything seems to align in our favour.

But here is the danger: hanging onto the comfortable and familiar as our security when God has something better ahead. It’s easy to become complacent and let the temporary become permanent by default. Fear often keeps us swinging from a precarious nest, afraid to leave because we don’t know what’s out there. However, we can lose our perspective when we settle in and make that place our permanent home. Cuddling up inside a cozy little nest and being rocked to sleep can be pleasant, but one strong wind and the whole thing could tumble down around us.

Is God calling you and me to something greater? Would it mean letting go of a dream of what our perfect life would look like? Are we stuck in some area, scared to lose the security of the known, even if God might have something better ahead? Do we dig into the familiar and, like the bird, decide, I’m not budging! No way. No how? Are we afraid to surrender to the God who loves us and has our best interests at heart? It takes courage to spread our wings and launch ourselves into his care. The good thing is that when we trust him, our foundation is solid, and “underneath are the everlasting arms.”*

The little wren in residence on my deck this summer has given me food for thought as I look into my heart. Maybe she spent the summer here for a reason.

*“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27a.