If we could take a poll of everyone reading this article, I believe 99.9% of you would have to admit that, as a child, you wanted to fly. I distinctly recall as a youngster repeatedly climbing up on our green and white sofa – parents out of the house of course – and standing on the armrest, I would jump up as high as possible and try to fly! Please take into account here that a child’s brain is not yet fully developed at this tender age! At least it appears mine wasn’t or I would have at least climbed up on our tall block wall or the roof of the garage for a better jump-off platform. (Pretty sure I’m not alone here!)
Birds are meant to fly, and in a way, we are too! I believe each of us have wings in our heart that enable us to rise to our life’s purpose. Amelia Earhart had said, “Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?” I would change that last line just a tad to say, “What do purposes know of boundaries?”
You see, everyone has purpose in life. We each have our own unique set of talents, passions, and interests — and once God breathes life and inspiration on these, you are ready to fly!! Your choice though. God will never push us off the cliff for flight. Country music singer Miranda Lambert said, “If you don’t jump, you’ll never know if you can fly.” A proven theory in my book!
The Apostle Paul was a flyer. He was arrested and sent to prison; dark forces sent him there wrongly believing it would finally silence him and inflict great damage on Christianity. But he had learned to fly. While sitting in prison, Paul made lemonade from lemons and wrote 13 letters of the New Testament – so significant! Silencing Paul? Hardly!
What’s fascinating is that while Paul was sitting in jail, it’s said there was a contemporary of his who was actually a much better orator. But while he preached, Paul wrote. We don’t have a clue about what this guy taught, but since Paul was in jail and had learned to use his wings and fly, he wrote his heart out and because of that, we have these amazing 13 letters — 2,000+ years later. “Purpose” has wings of its own. What if I fall? But what if I fly?
As a child I was always trying to catch birds. I remember constantly sneaking up on them but they always flew away at the last minute — except for this one time. We were in Long Beach with relatives walking back to our cars following lunch and there it was – a big ol’ pigeon just sitting at the edge of an asphalt parking lot. I quietly snuck up on it and when I was within reach I made my move and…caught him. But within seconds a giant, blood-filled tick came crawling out onto my little hand. I remember letting out a blood-curdling scream that swiftly sent my dad running to the rescue.
Obviously the bird was sick or it would have flown off. Only sick or injured birds of flight don’t fly. We are meant to fly! Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “Those who wait on the Lord get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles…” These are brutal times. If ever we needed to get fresh strength and fly like eagles it’s today!
Everything in me screams out that these are the most important days you and I will know in our lifetime. I absolutely believe we are forging new paths in history! If we squander them, it may well be the greatest regret of our lives!
I have a sign in my office I’ve memorized and believe it to be amazingly accurate in the lives of passionate Christ-followers: “The enemy is not fighting you because you are weak. The enemy is fighting you because you have a purpose!” Now go ahead – fly people fly!
Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information you can visit them at DPCityChurch.org.
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