Nature is Cruel

I am so devastated right now at the loss of the baby birds.  I feel like a part of me was tore out of that tree today.  I got away from my desk for 15 mins at 4:15 and when I got back there were several birds flying all around the tree.  I thought to myself that the birds were learning to fly so I grabbed my camera and started snapping.  Within seconds, a crow flew out of the tree with at least 2 of the babies in his claws.  Looking back at the picture I snapped...I actually had him in my camera view but didn't see him....He didn't have any birds then...so I could have hit the window and made him leave again.  I was so excited for them to hit their next achievement, I didn't notice the immediate danger.  We do this in our lives often - don't we?

I don't know if I was more heart broken to see the left over baby jump/fall out of the nest or to see the momma bird go back to her EMPTYnest after it was all over.  But both about broke my heart.  Should I feel this sad over nature?  It seems odd to me but at the same time, I can't bring myself out of this funk. I was putting so much faith into this little bird family and with just one minute, it was tore apart.  I thought then about the little boy who passed away from cancer this morning.  His mom had posted on his Caring Bridge page that he would never be somebody...and I kept thinking to myself, he all ready is somebody.  I can't imagine being in her shoes.  Losing her baby after just 2 short years with him, after fighting for his life for at least 1 of those years.  She kept asking what she would do with herself after he was gone...when there was nobody to feed or change or clean up or give medicine to.  He was part of her identity.  He was a big part of their lives and after fighting this horrible disease he was taken from them.  Nature is cruel.  Life is tough.  After the incident with the birds, I kept hearing in my head "everything has a time to live and a time to die" - so that is the verse I am listing here tonight.

 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
 a time to be born, and a time to die;
 a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
 a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
 a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
 a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
 a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
 a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
 a time to love, and a time to hate;
 a time for war, and a time for peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV)