This Mother’s Day we are reminded of a scripture in Psalms:

Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,

Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Psalm 84:3 (NIV)

This scripture references two different birds — the sparrow and the swallow. What is unique about this is that these two birds have very different ways of building their nest. According to Cornell Lab’s All About Birds website, “Sparrow nests are made of coarse dried vegetation, often stuffed into the hole until it's nearly filled. The birds then use finer material, including feathers, string, and paper, for the lining.” In contrast, when Swallows build their nest, “They collect mud in their bills and often mix it with grass stems to make pellets. They first construct a small shelf to sit on, then build up the nest's sides. If built against a wall or other vertical surface the result is a semicircular, half-cup shape.” Here we clearly see two distinct styles of building a nest, representative of the fact that there are often many different styles of mothering. 

One of the greatest challenges a mother faces is comparing herself to other mothers. This scripture reminds us that God made each of us unique, so why would our mothering styles all be the same? A sparrow does not build a better nest than a swallow, she builds the perfect nest for her children. Each mother is uniquely graced to raise the children God has gifted to her. As mothers we can either fall into the trap of comparison, or embrace our individuality. When we embrace how God has made us unique as women, we begin to see how He has uniquely gifted us as mothers as well! Everyone mothers differently and thank God for that because not every child is the same. A baby swallow would not thrive in a sparrow’s nest. 

While we should champion each other’s differences as mothers there is one constant that this scripture points out — where the birds build their nests. The nests themselves may be different, but they are both built near the altar of the Almighty God. It is the same for us. There are many types of mothers out there, but what makes each mother thrive, what gets her through the challenges of motherhood and amplifies its joys is when she is near the altar of God. As mothers, we are called to cultivate a place of worship in our hearts and in our homes. It is from this intimacy with God that we can experience His peace, love, protection, and strength. From this place we find the faith and trust in God it takes to be a mother.