After a few years without one, we have been blessed again this year with a robin’s nest in our cherry tree. The first thing I do each morning is peek out the window, and see how our expectant tenant is doing. And usually, I see her sitting on how ever many eggs she’s incubating…she rarely leaves her post.

This morning, however, I was surprised to see the robin perched on the edge of the nest, looking into it. With as confused a face as a bird can have. It would look closer every now and again, or tilt its head to the side like it was puzzled. And I was confused, and somewhat worried that something had happened to the eggs, and the bird was trying to figure it out.

Because I was concerned, I kept watching. And this went on for quite some time, with the bird never relinquishing its position perched on the side of the nest, but still looking as baffled as a robin can look.

And then, suddenly, another robin flew into the tree, and promptly arranged herself on the eggs. And as soon as that happened, the other bird flew off.

It dawned on me that I had been watching the father at the nest. And, as Turkey pointed out, like most new fathers, he couldn’t help but look confused.

It was a funny thing to realize after the fact that he had clearly been put on guard duty, and took his job quite literally, never once sitting on the eggs like the female would, but rather dutifully watching over them. And it was just as funny to watch the female come back, and not even check the nest out before she got back to her job of keeping her eggs warm.

It never ceases to amaze me how you can see God’s design for creation at work, if you just take the time to look around!