The days get longer, the sun warmer, the condition of my heart—lighter. I love the beginning of summer days, and with Memorial Day just two weeks away, I count this as the start of summer days (never mind that crazy Colorado had snow last week).
With this new season, I am starting to realize my heart—as well as many things in my life—are starting to flutter… learning to take flight.
Sometimes change can be a fast thing—forced upon us—but we slowly learn afterward how to live with it… but more often than not, change comes slowly. In fact, it can feel so gradual we barely notice it happening… just like the feeling we get when we flip through a photo album (whether a physical one or one on our phone… we feel, “Surely time couldn’t have changed that fast!”)
My husband recently described a changing and challenging situation as, “It’s like the frog in the pot,” with the water turned up slowly until before the frog knew it, the frog was being boiled alive. Harsh, I know… but often changes in life add up one thing at a time, one little tweak here and there… until sure enough, wow, things have changed!
One thing about living in the same area for all of my life so far is I see a lot of change. I know a lot of you can say the same for where you grew up. I am amazed at how now I have seen several stores built from the ground up, then torn down, then rebuilt… all in the same location.
More changes… I am amazed at how years ago I watched a local baseball hero play in the majors and now we watch his son. I am amazed at how many houses I see go on sale, and then in a different season are on sale again… the circle of life goes on. It’s crazy how things change.
In our own lives we are feeling the fluttering of wings. We are, like baby birds who are outgrowing the nest, learning how to flutter our own wings and take flight. Not yet, but soon. When the right weather comes, or the right wind arrives—we will jump and take flight.
And lately, we’ve been feeling that in our own family.
We watch as Big Sister bird is perched on the edge of the nest ready to take flight in her own life with married life. The big day is coming up soon this summer. The countdown is on.
Brother bird has been busy with Father bird making the nest strong, tidy, efficient, but he too is at the edge of the nest ready to take flight into his last two years of high school and driving himself around in his car.
Baby bird is still comfortable at home but ready to try new adventures with a new school, new friends, and a new season of a new sport she’s never played.
Father and Mother bird have other flights on their mind as well and have already started taking some fluttering leaps of their own—with new adventures, new rhythms, and more dreaming as a family.
What has been fluttering in your spirit lately? What is God leading you toward in this season of life?
Change is often not at the top of any of our lists, but as we follow the Good Shepherd and let Him lead us His way—our little wings start to flutter and we learn to take flight.
The good thing about the birds in the wild—they know how to take flight. It is instinct. It is something that, when the time is right, the conditions right, they just know—it is time to flutter our wings… time to go!
I want to encourage you—whether you find excitement in the fluttering of wings or anxiety—or to be honest, like most of us, a mixture of the two… put hope in the fact that you have the Holy Spirit as your wingman, and Lord Jesus as the Way Maker, the Shepherd who has prepared the way.
I saw a nice quote the other day that said:
So if you feel like the nest beneath you is starting to quake, or even just shift a bit, if the breeze is starting to pick up and you instinctively need to start “fluttering”… know Aslan is on the move and He is leading you in the next great flight of His journey for your life.
Get ready to soar with Him. He will lead you.
It will be clear. Crystal clear.
Perhaps you will not be able to see the exact location, the exact outcome, yet you will know, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).
My prayer for us all as we go into this next season of preparing for change and flight:
Lord, You have been so faithful all our lives to shepherd us, guide us, and guard us. We pray now for the next area You are calling us to yield to You—to take flight with You. You know the exact plans You have spoken to each of us in our hearts.
We ask You now, by Your Holy Spirit, to continue to lead, guide, inspire, and strengthen us all to follow Your call for each of our lives.
We say yes to You and are watchful, ready in spirit and in body for when You call us and how You call us on this next part of the journey.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The wings are fluttering. Summer is here. And God is leading.
Until next time,
Melanie Talevski 