MOTHERING OUR YOUNG
A Study on the Swallow of Psalm 84
“How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of Hosts. My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she places her young near Your altars, O LORD of Hosts, my King and my God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah.”
The year was 2009 and I found myself like a mother hen gathering her chicks and looking for safety for us to take refuge. I remember the feeling of being incredible vulnerable and resolute simultaneously. There was no option of rolling over I had to find strength and push through for these little ones. We drove our kids across the country and came into the prayer room in Kansas City and as I sat in the front row while the worship team played, the my heart was directed to Psalm 84 and this passage has been so dear to my heart ever since.
Throughout the years I have sang it, meditated on it and studied it. Now I find myself again in an interesting season as a mother, the season when the ‘birds are leaving the nest’, and so I am again digging into this passage and looking at some incredible allegorical coordinations between these birds, and us mothers.
A LOOK AT THE BIRDS
While the Hebrew word for “sparrow” is a general word for a ‘bird’ used in many passages in the scripture, the word for “swallow” is unique. The word in Hebrew is “deror” (Strong’s 1866) which is a specific type of bird only used twice scripture. (Also in Proverbs 26:2) I want to narrow in on the swallow.
The wings are long, pointed, and have nine (Biblically denotes finality and completeness) primary feathers. The tail has 12 feathers (Click for the Biblical meaning of 12) and may be deeply forked, somewhat indented, or square-ended. Their long tail increases maneuverability. Doesn’t that sound like a mama?
The Swallow
Swallows can walk, run and fly. There feet are adapted for perching rather than walking, (Staying still, planted, steady) which really peaked my interest. The adaptability of being able to sit and stay planted or get up and run, whatever the season dictates. This sort of flexibility speaks to the maturity of a mother, knowing what’s needed in each season and being able to shift and do it.
Looking at some of these physical features you can easily see some overlapping Biblical and motherly correlations. When I think of the maneuverability I think about the length referring to maturity. I think about how with maturity a mother becomes more flexible, creative and resourceful. As we grow and learn we gain wisdom to how to think on our feet and shift quickly when different things are coming at us. Things as simple as throwing a meal together without having to run to the store all the way to operating with a clear mind in the midst of a trauma or crisis happening with our kids. I can not count the number of times I have been in this place of having to think on my feet and keep everyone moving forward in the middle of a crisis. We have to keep calm, project calmness, provide direction with confidence and steadiness so the young will feel safe and that they can trust us and listen to us. No one trains you for this. There is no class for this- it is motherhood.
The Feet Designed to Perch
The ability of the swallow to stay steady and planted is incredible. They aren’t antsy. They are not ADHD. In fact, their design in the feet is so that they know how to stand. Did you get that? They are designed to perch.
We were not designed to panic, fret, and fear. God designed our hearts and our minds to be able to guard ourselves from the evil one (Proverbs 4:23, Col. 3:2), to be steady. He designed us to watch and wait (Psalm 27:14, Psalm 37:7, Psalm 139: 13-16). It is in our DNA to hone in on our Father by the Holy Spirit (like our homing device), establish connection and steady ourselves with Him.
When I imagine this, I envision the scene where Mary is at Jesus’ feet in Luke 10, steady, focused, she is fully connected to what the higher reality and importance in this situation is.
“And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.’… ‘one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Migration
Species breeding in temperate regions migrate during the winter when their insect prey populations collapse. Species breeding in more tropical areas are often more sedentary, although several tropical species are partial migrants or make shorter migrations. (Migration happens when they can no longer find food. When you are well fed there is no reason to leave or go anywhere else.)
This speaks so much to me because as I recall the years of child raising I see how we would move, change schools etc. all in effort to constantly get our kids into the best places for them to grow whether community, education or just lifestyle. I have lost count now, but at one time I counted that we had moved 25 times since getting married at 22 years old. Each time, there was a good reason. That’s the point. Migration is dictated due to survival purposes. I am sure as humans sometimes we move just because we want to, but usually it’s about livelihood. A job, a school, cost of living, you get the picture. Where we once could live we can no longer survive or thrive.
Nesting
From what I have read on the species of the swallow it is typically the male that selects a nest site. However, in the verse it is the female who makes a nest for herself and her children.
The more primitive species nest in existing cavities, for example in an old woodpecker nest, while other species excavate burrows in soft substrate such as sand banks. (In the verse the swallow finds a nest, meaning there is one already built that is empty and she finds it and takes occupancy.) One thing this speaks to, in general to the children of God, is that He will take care of us, even go before us and prepare things for us that would be difficult or even impossible to do.
This swallow in the verse should have a male to build the nest, but she doesn’t, but there has already been nests built that she can find and settle in. This reminds me of how the Lord cares for the widow and the single mother.
The Father Has You
It also reminds me of how God works all things together… we don’t see the whole picture, we don’t know what He is at work doing even now, on our behalf. One time there was a prophecy given to our pastoral team that God was going to give us buildings we did not build but it was as if the person that built them had built it custom for us. That word has stuck with me for years. Basically, God doesn’t just have us covered, but He is in the details, working every detail of what we need to live in His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
With that in mind, how the Lord cares for the widow and the single mother, I found it interesting that the swallow, if a solitary nester, has larger territories. It is like a margin, a padding the Lord is surrounding her with, which reminds me of Psalm 18.
“He brought me into a spacious place, he rescued me because he delighted in me.”
This has become quite a comforting meditation, and I pray this also encourages you, mothers, out there. One last verse to meditate on, and let us remember He truly is with us.
“Look at the birds in the sky. They do not store food for winter. They don’t plant gardens. They do not sow or reap—and yet, they are always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are even more precious to Him than a beautiful bird. If He looks after them, of course He will look after you. ”