Preparing breakfast for her young ones was not something the Swallow looked forward to, when her young ones were younger but were past the milk-for-breakfast age. Apart from a lack of experience in taking care of young ones then, she was more like a nocturnal creature by nature and nurture. Staying up late was a no-issue for her but waking up with the dawn...yawn!
She could always count on her mate to chip in if she so wished, but that was not her way, so whenever the alarm sounded, she would leap (or try to anyway) out of her bed, dash to the washroom, give herself a quick wake-me-up ritual and prepare breakfast. Was there any thanks from her young ones? Sure, when it was something they liked, but more often than not, their usual response was "Bread again?"
Several years back, the Swallow had had enough. The young ones will need to learn to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5 : 18a, NIV), especially when one had given up her beauty sleep for them. Putting together a breakfast menu, with easy-to-prepare items as well as several of the young ones' choices, was a step in that direction. On the days when the breakfast item was not to their liking, they still had a choice - eat it without complaining, or eat the default item.
Initially, they were thrilled with most of the items on the menu, and when they did not like the day's menu, they did not mind the default item which was oatmeal as they liked to eat it sweetened with a little condensed milk. However, after eating oatmeal almost every other day for some time, they started to abhor it, and pleaded with the Swallow to change the default item, so she changed it to "Any type of breakfast cereal with fresh milk" - no cooking involved and no less-than-desired-milk!
So the young ones took the breakfast cereal with fresh milk or chocolate-flavoured fresh milk whenever they were not keen on the original breakfast item. Again, they were happy to eat the default item. The Swallow had to buy cartons of fresh milk on a regular basis. However, after a few weeks...yup, the young ones pleaded with their mother for another change to the default item. That was when the Swallow said "Bread." They could eat it with kaya, Nutella (a chocolate spread) or jam. Thus it was back to bread again - a full cycle!
This learning journey has spanned many years. Many times, especially when she was weary from lack of sleep, the Swallow had wanted to throw in the towel and just feed her young ones whatever they wanted, even if it was unhealthy for them, and many times, she did. She was so weary...but again and again she remembered "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22 : 6, NKJV). Did she want her young ones to keep complaining about the food? No! Did she want her young ones to be continuously fussy eaters? No! Did she want her young ones to be grateful instead? Yes! Yes! Yes! Drawing comfort and strength from her Lord God to see her through the tiring mornings, and days, she kept on, faltering now and then; but always going back to drawing from the deep reservoir of strength which the Lord has given through His Holy Spirit, and she is still drawing...
Has her young ones learnt to give thanks in all circumstances? No, the Swallow doesn't think that they have reached that milestone...that is still a hurdle to overcome, but at least nowadays, they do not complain about the day's menu, and for that the Swallow is grateful. Neither do they respond with "Bread again?", for they know the alternative is oatmeal...
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