Last spring, a robin started building a nest in the ledge above our front door. We have a small window there that is sheltered under the porch and just wide enough for a nest. If I was a momma bird, I would probably want to build my nest there. But we didn’t want a bird’s nest above our door. My husband, Rod, tried knocking the straw and mud down to deter the bird. It just came back and kept building. One morning we woke up and the nest was complete. Rod carefully moved the nest to the branch of a nearby tree (there weren’t any eggs in it), but the bird never used and left the ledge alone for the rest of the summer.

This spring, we once again discovered a robin building a nest in the ledge above our front door. Day after day we pulled the mud, twigs, and grass from the ledge, but the little bird continued to bring more. No matter how many times we removed the materials, the bird wouldn’t quit. Finally, we taped a piece of cardboard to the ledge with nails poking through to keep the bird from landing on the ledge. We thought we’d found a solution. Weeks went by and the bird left the ledge alone. Yesterday, we returned from a trip to find a new nest being built on top of the nails. Nothing seems to stop this spunky little robin.

While I really would like the bird to stop building it’s nest above my door, I can’t help but admire it’s perseverance. I have never persevered as much as that little bird. I am quick to give up when my work isn’t fruitful or there are obstacles in the way. I get discouraged when I don’t make progress. But the bird is undaunted. Here are a three lessons I learned from the bird:

1. Be undaunted. The bird didn’t even seem to notice when we took down her nest again and again. She just kept working in spite of the failures and the nails. I need to persevere past the problems I encounter along the way to keep working toward my goals.

2. Be committed. Evidently our ledge is the perfect place for the bird’s nest, and she is committed to making it work. I need to be fully committed to the projects, values, and goals I have set out to accomplish. Commitment will help me stay focused on the task at hand without getting distracted by the pitfalls along the way.

3. Just keep building. Day after day the little bird continues to carry mud, grass, and twigs to build her nest. When I encounter setbacks and roadblocks, I need to remember to just keep building.