Mark and I took Janay to “the big city” yesterday before taking her to the airport. We went to Sausalito for lunch. The weather and the views were glorious…
All three of us were in awe of the beauty of the day and our surroundings. The temperature was perfect (not always the case in San Francisco!) and the views were breathtaking. (Unfortunately, due to my poor photographic skills, most of the pictures I tried to take while riding in the back seat of the car ended up being of guard rails and cement walls….grrrrrr…. while Janay, the photographer in the family, got great shots from the front seat…)
If you look closely at the third picture, you’ll see more than just a pile of rocks on the shore of the bay. There are sea gulls napping in the rocks. They blend in so well, it’s hard to even notice them at first. But they’re there. About a half hour after this was taken, nap time was over and they all flew toward the bright blue sky in a beautiful formation that captured the essence of what they were meant to do – FLY! And suddenly they look like more than just another rock. When they are in the sky, wings spread, gliding, dipping, FLYING they are right where they are supposed to be. In that sweet place where their feet no longer touch the ground – eyes no longer tucked beneath their wings, but facing heavenward.
The more people that I talk to the more I realize that some of us have forgotten our “wings” – those gifts, abilities and God-given talents that were meant to change the world, our spheres of influence. We’ve settled for nestling in the rocks and just blending in, napping, heads tucked under our unused wings.
We’re afraid that we don’t really have the wings that others have. And that’s exactly right. We have our OWN WINGS. Our own set of strengths and personality designed specifically for us to be used by God for His amazing purposes. He wants to take us higher than the pile of rocks. To use those wings and truly FLY! To see things from a different vantage point – things we would never even get a glimpse of from the rock pile.
Just as our wings are so different from each other, so are our rock piles. For some it’s complacency – staying in the comfort zone of ease. For others, it’s fear – too afraid to leave the known rock pile for the unknown, boundless sky. Maybe you’re stuck in the rock pile because you never even knew you had wings, or because your wings have been clipped by the abuse of others.
But even broken wings can be fixed and a bird can fly again.
I was reading about what happens when a sea gull is affected by an oil spill: “Instinctively, the bird tries to get the oil off its feathers by preening, which results in the animal ingesting the oil and causing severe damage to its internal organs. In this emergency situation, the focus on preening overrides all other natural behaviors; including evading predators and feeding, making the bird vulnerable to secondary health problems.” These birds become beached, and unless they are rescued and their wings are “brought back to life” they will die right there in the pile of rocks.
When we try to fix our own damaged wings, we can do more damage. Ignoring the damage doesn’t make it go away, either. Damaged wings will never let us fly.
But the One who created our wings can heal those wings. He wants us to join Him in flight. He even says He will give us the ability to soar – But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. Isaiah 40:31. Eagles! (by definition – “renowned for its keen sight and powerful soaring flight.”) That’s even greater than seagulls!
Quite literally, the sky is the limit. We were meant to FLY. To use our wings and soar. To draw people’s eyes up to heaven through the beauty of our gifts, talents and abilities.
Spread those gorgeous wings and go to where the rock pile is just a minuscule speck of an amazing view…
Ephesians 3:20 – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…
