Equipping Others

Today

My son and I went shopping.

On Friday,

He will be flying away

For his third year of college.

Just like every time

I send him on his way,

I have mixed feelings.

Don’t get me wrong.

I want our three to succeed.

To fly on their own.

However,

With the joy and anticipation

Comes the sadness.

Life is changing.

My day-to-day adventures

Will be different

As each one takes flight.

While I love to fly off

On my own adventures,

It’s always nice to return

Home.

But home is changing.

That’s what happens to parents…

We do our job well (or not)

And the objects of

All that time and energy

Fly off on their own.

As tough as it can be,

It’s exciting to think that,

All these years,

I have been equipping others

To fly high.

To fly free.

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6, ESV).

Unbearable Weight

From time to time,

There are things

That weigh me down.

But one of the most

Difficult to lay aside

Is sorrow.

Sadness is a liquid emotion.

It permeates

My entire being.

It’s an anchor

That keeps me from flying.

A ten ton anvil

Sitting on my chest.

I can’t simply

Shake it off.

I commend all

Who have learned

To surrender

Their heaviest burdens

And keep flying.

In order to reach out

And help others,

I must look up.

I must relinquish

The unbearable weight.

I must keep flying

No matter what.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7, ESV).

New Heights

My perspective can change

In a matter of seconds.

When thinking what to entitle

This post,

I found myself looking at

The mountain that looms ahead

And

The slalom course I must

Learn to navigate.

And then I realized something.

I am not where

I used to be.

If I’d faced these challenges

Not that long ago,

I would have handled them differently,

Poorly even.

I enjoy the exhileration

Of flying high

Because everything is great.

However,

It really is even more exciting

To discover

I am being called to new heights

To gain a clearer perspective

On what seem like

Insurmountable obstacles.

I must say,

Even now,

The view is spectacular.

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6, ESV).

Making Headway

What a week this has been!

I flew at such dizzying heights

It seemed surreal.

And then,

All the air was sucked

From my surroundings.

And

I plummeted to the earth.

Thud!

My mouth actually dropped open.

Wounded,

I stood slowly to my feet.

I began to make plans…

How can I get airborne again?

How can I lift others with me?

In the past,

I would have wanted to take

Immediate action.

That wasn’t possible.

And that’s a good thing.

I committed my plan

To the One with perfect vision.

I thought I knew what He wanted,

But I am slowly realizing

It’s not going to be as easy

As I’d thought.

I’ve had this feeling before…

The pounding of my heart.

The butterflies in my stomach

That felt more like helicopters.

The knowing

That the best course of action

Lay before me,

But I’d prefer the easier one.

And now,

Knowing what I must do,

I have the added challenge

Of waiting.

Timing, they say, is everything.

While I wait,

I will seek to make headway

In all areas.

I will seek to fly,

But not according to my plans,

According to His.

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:2-7, ESV).

Broken Wings

I didn’t know

It was possible

To fly

With broken wings.

But apparently,

It is.

To those who

Fly courageously

With a deep desire

Not to slow down

The flock,

My admiration.

Please know

I am aware of your pain

And will do whatever I can

To support you.

However,

I, too,

Am an injured flyer.

So,

To the One

Who can bring peace

And restoration,

I pray.

May He heal You

And bring His flock together,

Healed and whole.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27, ESV).

Abundant Thanks

As I was journalling last night,

I stumbled across

An assuring truth.

I’ve spent the last four days

In a lovely, wooded community,

Free to spend hour after hour

Writing.

There were no other responsibilities beckoning.

What a treat!

Talk about soaring.

I was concerned that I would

Find it difficult to return

To “the real world”.

As so often happens,

It all worked itself out

As I put my concerns

Into words.

Here,

I have found the focus

I need.

This holiday

Has been a gift.

Truly,

My day-to-day life

Overflows with gifts.

My home.

My family.

My friends.

My job.

My writing.

My newest adventure.

And that list

Only scratches the surface.

I now understand

How easy it would be

To abandon reality

To chase a dream

That is nothing more than vapour.

I also understand why God requires

A thankful heart.

It changes everything

When our But Whys?

Become

Abundant Thanks!

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4-5, ESV).

Missing My Dad

This week

I’m enjoying

Flyers of all kinds…

Butterflies.

Dragonflies.

Hummingbirds.

Chickadees.

Goldfinches.

And the list goes on.

As a child growing up

In the country,

I was bored senseless.

But now,

Watching the birds

And

Listening to hundreds of crickets

Is absolutely incredible.

It makes me miss my dad.

He enjoyed nature so much.

He would have loved

The baby chipmunk

And the countless birds

I saw today.

It makes me thankful

For many things.

Among them…

The gifts of sight and hearing.

A dear friend

Who opened her home to me.

A father who loved creation.

And

A Heavenly Father

Who brought it all together.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV).

Wheels Free

Tuesday night…

After I’d traveled

In and out

Of the city…

Dropped off my friend…

Picked up my daughter…

And placed my son’s order

At the drive-thru window…

I noticed steam coming

From under the hood.

My eldest wasn’t working

So he and my hubby

Could come “rescue” us.

The next morning,

We had it towed to our mechanic.

Since it has been in for repairs,

I have done a lot more walking.

It turns out there is great potential

For flight

While I walk.

(As contradictory as that might sound.)

I have half an hour

To think and pray

Each time I walk to or from work.

What a blessing!

While I’m thrilled

I don’t have to walk a third time today,

Every now and then

I may just go

Wheels free.

…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:33-34, NIV).

Wings and Anchors

It sounds contradictory.

How can I give

My family

Wings and anchors?

While our second son

Prepared to go to college,

I was told I needed to

Cut the apron strings.

My internal response

To that statement

Was less than godly.

However,

Though the thoughts

Of my child

Moving away

Brought tears to my eyes,

I was excited for him.

(Though I did consider

Putting a poster of a West Jet plane

On my wall

And throwing darts at it.)

That first good-bye

Was two years ago.

I am

Once again

Preparing to send him westward.

I must give him wings

If he is to discover

All the future holds.

But

I must also give him anchors.

He will always be welcome

Here.

He can always be sure

Of my love.

With me,

He is always free

To be himself.

Because of my wings and anchors,

I can offer them to others.

May I do so

Now and always.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25, NIV).

Flying in Circles

Flying in circles

Is not the same as

Spinning my wheels.

At first

Both phrases

Smack of futility.

However,

When I spin my wheels,

I make no progress whatsoever.

On the other hand,

I gain a unique perspective

When I fly in circles.

It isn’t a bad thing to revisit

Sights and situations I’ve seen before.

I often see something I missed

At previous visits.

I can approach things

With increased maturity.

(One would hope, at least.)

There are times

I need a gentle reminder

(A.K.A. a loving hit upside the head)

That reminds me of something

I already knew

But had forgotten.

Today

If I find myself

Flying in circles,

Whether of my own doing

Or because the currents

Carry me there,

May I see it as an opportunity.

Not punishment.

Not a sign that I’m “stuck”

From spinning my wheels.

May I discover wonderful truth

As I circle.

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, ESV).