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."
