My in-laws had a quail's nest in their planter this summer, with a mother quail and several eggs. One day when they looked at it they found the mother quail gone and feathers all around. The mother had been killed by a cat or coyote wandering the neighborhood, and her eggs were left unprotected. Then, the eggs started hatching. My husband brought the chicks and remaining eggs home with him--they were adorable!--and we took them to a bird lady in Phoenix who knew how to care for them so they could survive.
As we were driving out to Phoenix, we had a discussion about how precious life is and how important it is to protect those who are weaker or more vulnerable than we are. It was a powerful object lesson for my children, one they still talk about. Who can look at a baby bird and not want to protect it and take care of it? That feeling comes from God, and it is strong in little children. If only we could all keep that pure child-heart! I think the world would be a much better place.
