Isaiah 40:31
" . . . They will soar on wings . . ."
I was at church yesterday, sitting outside at the edge of the pond just praying, asking the Lord to help me be more willing and trusting to surrender my life to Him, and He did! He did by showing me what it was like to just let go, and afterwards I felt much more able to start taking those steps to surrender. While I was sitting there praying and enjoying the breeze, a flock of birds (much smaller than the bird in the picture) swooped down from the trees and started flying around the pond. Then they started gliding around, spreading their little wings and just floating along with the breeze. Sometimes they would come so close to the water that I thought that they would just fall right in with delicate little splashes! And then after being close to the water for a while, they would glide through the fountain, up into the sky, and then come back down to do it all over again.
Rarely did they ever flap their wings. The birds were just surrendering to the wind, letting it take them wherever it went. I really want to be like that, spreading my wings and soaring as the Lord promises in Isaiah 40:31. I can safely say that my life becomes a completely trashed, unorganized mess whenever I try to conduct it. It just doesn't work for very long! But it's during those times that I just give in to the Lord and let Him take me, I find myself being more loving towards others and just closer to the Lord. People seem to think that giving control to God means becoming His captive or His slave. No, giving control to God is what sets ourselves free from ourselves. By ourselves we are sinful, needy, controlling, stressed out and a whole bunch of other stuff. With God, however, we are sinless, our needs are fulfilled, we give up control, and I personally find myself less stress. That's freedom!
At the lake, there were some times when the birds would flap their wings which I found interesting. A while back ago I was in a group discussion and someone mentioned the Lord being like our Father taking us into an ice cream shop. My mom, best friend and I went out for ice cream just after I got my drivers license. My mom didn't choose what flavors of ice cream my friend and I got - we got to choose. God is the same way sometimes. Sometimes He will let us choose what we want to do and where we want to go in certain areas of our lives. Whether or not we make the wiser or better choice, the Lord is with us, reminding us that He is there, He is proud, and that if it wasn't the better choice, that He will make up for it. That's like the birds pausing in their gliding every now and again to flap their wings and choose their own course for a while. They didn't flap for long, though. After a while they would glide again with the wind.
It was beautiful! I wish that I could go back and watch the birds fly all day and night long. But I'm content with the message God sent to me through them, and I am very thankful. I thought I would share this in hopes that it would encourage you as more or even more than it encouraged me. Thanks for reading!