Welcome to my blog...

Green trees, cool water, a gentle breeze...the perfect place to sit at the feet of the Master and learn. Jesus taught so often on the shoreline, and He's still speaking today.

This is where I share the lessons He teaches me, often during the time I spend on the shores of a local lake. I don't have all the answers...and some days I don't have any. But I go here when I need to draw near to Him in a tangible way. Come with me...

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Broken Wings

He was a seagull, same as the others.

Yet he sat a little way off, looking aloof.

There, on the edge of the group, nothing extraordinary seemed to set him apart.  




But then he stood, took a few steps, turned a bit, and I saw it...


The broken wing.

I focused my lens and moved nearer until I'd gotten too close.  

In his pain and fear, he tried to scurry away.  

He was unable to fly but struggled to hide his vulnerability.


How many of us are like that injured gull?

We desire to be part of the group...

                       To fit in.  

                                  To belong.  

We try our best to look put together. Try to hide what we believe sets us apart, makes us ugly, vulnerable. We linger on the periphery, hoping to be accepted.

But life has injured us.  Broken our wings.  Made us unable to fly and when someone looks a little too closely at us, we often tend to scurry quickly away in fear.

The truth is, no one goes through life unscathed.  Some hurts are more visible than others, but they still exist in us all. 

When we have the courage to stand up and expose our brokenness, several things can happen:

Those around us will know we need help. As long as we claim "everything's fine", people are robbed of the opportunity and blessing to pray for us and assist us. Galatians 6:2:  Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  

God will use us.  Often others are hurting in exactly the same way. When you share your experience, it will encourage those around you.  Isaiah 40:31: but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint...  

What feels like vulnerability will become a strength.  Nothing goes wasted with God...not even your weakness.  2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Don't live life on the periphery.  

       We all have suffered a broken wing.  

                  Take your hurts to the Great Physician. 

                           He will not only provide healing, He will give you peace.

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."




7 comments:

  1. Really enjoyed your post. Maybe because I totally agree. I have seen God use my brokenness when I don't try to hide it. The more broken we are, the more others can see Him.

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    1. Thank you Anne. I know I'm glad that God uses imperfect, broken people! It can be such an encouragement to others :) Happy to hear you allow Him to bless those around you that way.

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  2. Yes, to all. And I actually have a story about the gull with a broken wing, my daughter and I read. But, I always find such moments of epiphany while observing animals, birds and nature. Just beautiful, Toni. I so relate.

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    1. Thank you Dawn. Those kind of "moments of epiphany" are the reason why this blog got started...God was using all that nature down by the lake to speak volumes to my heart :) Was the story you read a children's book? What was it called?

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    2. Please tell me you brought the gull to a bird sanctuary?

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    3. I had no idea where to go with him, so I told the park ranger where to find him. They said they would take care of him.

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