Another cool video!
This video was taken a few days after Baby’s first attempt at flapping his wings. The Saga of Baby Bird is filled with lessons about our walk with God. For example, it teaches us about vision. When Mama flew and flapped her wings in front of Baby, as seen in the previous blog post, she was showing him the possibilities, imparting a vision for what he was to do and become. (See Come On, You Can Do It if you missed the first video).
But Baby needed more than a vision. At first, he simply sat in the nest, watching Mama flapping and flying. Even after he caught the vision, he wasn’t ready to jump out of the nest and fly away. There was a process. He began by responding to Mama’s gentle tapping on his wings by moving them. How exciting it must have been to discover his flapping capabilities!
Over the next few days baby periodically came out of the nest and practiced flapping, tentatively at first. He no longer waited for Mama to tell him to do it. He came out and practiced even when she was nowhere around. Each day he increased in strength until the time came for him to fly away from the protection of the nest to live the life he had been created for.
We humans also need a vision for where we’re headed. The Bible says, “Without a vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat told Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”
Sometimes when we catch a glimpse of what God has for us, we get so excited about it that we try to jump out of the nest and fly away without taking the necessary steps to strengthen our wings and develop our flapping skills. Let’s face it. Flapping practice is not as much fun as flying. But usually when God gives us a view of our destiny, He doesn’t mean for us to jump into it right now. Steps of preparation are needed to help us grow into the vision.
Instead of being in a hurry to see the fulfillment of what I believe God is showing me He has planned for me, I want to remember to ask Him, “What’s the next step you want me to take?” and then follow through on that. Keeping the vision in mind provides incentive, energizes our walk, and gives purpose and direction to our decisions; but our walk with God is just that – a walk. And a walk consists of steps.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, “We do not want you to become lazy, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12). Faith and patience are just what we need as we learn to enjoy each step along the way. I plan to focus on developing that faith and patience. Then when it’s time to fly, I’ll be ready!
