| FOOD FOR THOUGHT - Insights (21) |
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| INSIGHTS | ||
Personal experiences which have provoked thought - and created or reinforced particular insights about our lives in God's world.
In this example, one of our church-members shares her thoughts on the symbolic parallels between the uplifting power of the air of God's creation, which enables birds to fly and survive, and the uplifting power of God's spirit, which similarly gives to us the means and freedom to survive and 'fly' in our lives. "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
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At one time, my husband, Pete, flew model gliders. When the weather permitted, he would go into Knutsford's Tatton Park to fly his aeroplane, joined by several other enthusiasts.
They would have a good time together discussing the various planes and just how well they flew (except when disaster struck and the plane crashed to the ground at the first flight!). Pete enjoyed it particularly when he 'found' a thermal and the plane just seem to float on the air.
Have you ever noticed the birds high in the sky when they have found a thermal? I love watching them, especially the buzzards, as they float on the warm air without, seemingly, a care in the world. They have complete confidence in the air beneath them; they cannot see it but they can feel it. When we visited the Grand Canyon a few years ago, we stood on the rim marvelling at the view before us. As we looked down we could see, hundreds of feet below, what seemed to be long black objects on the rocks. We then realised that they were large vultures, resting on the rocks with their wings outstretched. They didn't have any worries; they were just content to rest and bask in the sun. Recently I received a letter from a friend in response to a card I had sent her. This friend is quite lonely and in her letter she told me of the dove and how, when it has thrown its young out of the nest to make them fly, she catches them under her wings and brings them safely back. Then she said that is what her Lord does for her. He sends someone to remind her that He will bear her up on eagles' wings. To me it was just a card but to her, in her loneliness, it was God saying that He still loves her.
So often, in the Bible, the analogy of birds is used. We are told in Luke, chapter 13, that, as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, He told her how often He had longed to gather her children together as a mother hen shelters her chicks under her wings.
Jesus reminds us that we have no need to worry. Again in Luke's Gospel, He reminds us that life is more than food and clothes. Think about the ravens; they don't sow or reap, yet God cares for them. He cares about the sparrows, and if He does that, then just how much more will He care for us. As we know though, things don't always go right, and we are often buffeted by life's winds but the beautiful verse in Isaiah 40 promises that God will lift us up on eagle's wings. Psalm 91 v4 tells us that God will cover us with His feathers and under His wings we will find refuge. And, in Deuteronomy we have that wonderful verse that underlines it all: 'The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms'. So the next time you see the birds floating in the air, imagine, if you can, the arms of our loving God beneath them - and beneath you. Dorothy R
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