Christian Articles Archive
Leaving the Nest
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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Life of Jacob
My dream left me depressed. All night long, it seemed, I had
tried to "scrounge" a few personal possessions before
I left home for good. It had been prompted by a letter from my
parents to their soldier son a continent away in the hills of
Maryland. They were moving into a small recreational vehicle
and had to sell all the furniture, giving away boxes of mementos.
Awaking I felt cut off from my boyhood. My stomach knotted up,
knowing I could never go home.
I got up for an early walk in the country air of that August
morning, praying and turning these thoughts over in my mind, trying
to be mature about it all, but instead just choking back tears.
I called out, "Lord, help me."
My attention was captured by a long line of large birds which
had begun to wing their way overhead. At first I assumed it was
just a small flock, but they kept on coming without a break.
When I reached a vantage point the line of birds stretched as
far as I could see. I held up my hands to try to block out a
hundred at a time with my fingers in an attempt to estimate the
total number. One hundred seemed insignificant compared to the
unending migration. Ten thousand? More like fifty thousand.
As I started back, I thought about how many nests these birds
had left. Yet God takes care of them. They fly in "faith"
for hundreds and thousands of miles, motivated and guided unerringly
by their God-given instinct. I had my answer. The joy of the
Lord broke over me. I shouted for joy in the morning stillness.
Certainly, I can't go home any more, but God met the need of
my heart that day. It was like He was saying that we must all
at some time leave our security and fly, trusting in His leadership.
He who guides ten thousands from their nests to new homes sustains
me as well. "Look at the birds of the air ... Are you not
much more valuable than they? ... O you of little faith"
(Matthew 6:26, 30; NIV).
I opened the door of our mobile home with a song flooding through
my heart:
But "I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
unto Him against that day."
Copyright © 1985-2009 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
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