Jewel # 389 (February 6, 2020)

And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS.”

Malachi 3:17

To My dear grandchildren

The Desert-Wise Cactus Wren

Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwells on high,

who humbles Himself to behold the things . . . in the earth!  Psalm 113:5-6

The cactus wren is about the size of a robin and is the largest member of the wren family.  Its brown feathers mottled with white, along with the bright red or orange iris of its eyes, make it a pretty bird.

As its name indicates, the cactus wren lives in the hot deserts of the southwestern United State and northern Mexico.  The Creator has given this bird the ability to thrive in these harsh deserts, and it seems quite content there.  It has been given a remarkable instinct to place its nest among the needle-like armour of spiny cholla and other cactus plants.  This defence is so good that its enemies (owls, wood rats, ground squirrels and snakes) do not attack it often.  The wren is so sure of this protection that it makes no attempt to conceal its nest, which is built only about three feet off the ground.

The straw-coloured nests are often as big as a man’s head.  Shaped like a flask, they are constructed of desert plants, grass and twigs and lined with soft, woolly fibres and feathers.  These nests show the God-given skill handed down from one generation to another.  When finished with her nest, the female wren builds a landing platform that is surrounded by sharp cactus spikes.  This platform permits her to enter a passage, sometimes a foot long, which leads into the nest itself.

However, the male bird does not share this nest.  Instead, if he cannot find an abandoned nest to use, he builds another one nearby.  He is not as careful about its construction as the female is with hers.  The female’s nest may be reused year after year, but the male’s nest often will fall apart during the first winter’s storms.

Cactus wrens are wary creatures, although they do select high perches for singing their lovely songs.  However, when searching for food, they prefer to fly close to the ground where they are screened by desert bushes.  Most of their food is insects and seeds of desert plants.  When hunting, these wise birds know that much food can be found under stones, so they turn these over to catch the insects that live in the coolness underneath.  Some of these stones may weigh half as much as the birds do.

Our opening verse tells us of our Creator God who, though mighty, humbles Himself to look after all His creatures.  This also includes you, and not only does He care for your needs, but the Bible tells us, “The Lord searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9).

Are you seeking Him or forsaking Him?

Love you all - Grandpa