Have you noticed the birds flying in after the cold of winter? What a delight to see our summer time birds again! There’s an old story about how birds came to fly.
Once upon a time… the birds had no wings. They crawled about in the grass like chipmucks and other earth-bound creatures. Then, one day the Lord threw wings at their feet and commanded them to pick them up and carry them.
At first, the birds found this task very hard. The little birds didn’t want the wings, because they were heavy and cumbersome things.
But the birds loved the Lord, and so in obedience, they picked up the heavy wings, and carried them on their backs. It was then that something marvelous happened. The wings that were such a burden, became fastened to their backs.
But then they saw that what they thought was a burdensome weight became their means to fly freely throughout the sky. Maybe that’s how it can go with our burdens.
At first our burdens seem cumbersome. But then, the burdens begin to carry us. That can happen when we find a way to lift ourselves up beyond our burdens.
One day Jesus met a lame man. He asked him, “Do you want to be well or do you want to continue lying around feeling sorry for yourself?”
The man replied with all kinds of excuses. “I’m alone. No one will help me. I don’t have a chance.” No wonder he remained in his condition year after year.
Jesus said to him, “If you really want to get well, then do this: Get up, take up your bed, and be on your way.” When the man did what Jesus said to do, he was healed. Hear that? “Take up your burden, your bed, and be on your way.”
Perhaps our burdens will become wings for us if we refuse to let them keep us down. If we will stop making excuses, get up, look forward and trust God, life can change for the better.
We will be given the strength, the confidence, and the courage to change our life for the better. God will give us the power to be on our way!