The Empty Nest Syndrome, Kinda Sorta

Have you noticed any baby birds around your house this year that are at the cusp of learning to fly? Seems like this has been a banner year near our home for that. Just the other night our cat Abby had one cornered outside and I had to remind her mice are fair game, little birds aren’t. So I helped what was probably baby bird  number seven this season from certain doom !  With a little coaxing from a chirping mom hovering around and my herding her into a safer locale she started to get her wings. 

So here comes the lesson. Just like those baby birds we want the security of the warm “nest” and not to have to venture out and spread our wings, breakfast in bed (delivered into our gaping mouth) without having to do the digging for the prize, and sometimes even when life kicks us out to jumpstart us spiritually we still refuse to fly and scurry around on the ground even though we have wings to soar.

Peter wrote an excellent book dealing with spiritual growth in 2 Peter. The final verse summarizes the book as it states, “But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”      The word “grow” is not meant as an option in the mind of God, it is an imperative to Him !  Yet to us is it, really?     Growth may mean getting out of the comfort zone of your “nest” and taking to the skies to do something for Him. I’ve said it at our church many times, service is not spelled serve-us !  Growth implies we don’t depend upon the handout alone of even going to church to be fed by a great sermon, but to learn to regularly as those noble Bereans in Acts 17 and  “search the Scriptures daily”. How awesome it is to find a “buried treasure” as you read on your own !! Growth often can be a circumstance God allows to come your way that initially you don’t like. You feel “kicked out of the security of your nest” and you find yourself waddling around in panic. At those times, take to flight, you were meant to “mount up with wings as eagles”, remember?! 

So are you going to fly today or will you strut around on the ground ?  It’s your choice. God has made His, we just need to spread our wings and take off !