Someone has said that wise parents give their children two lasting things: (1) roots and (2) wings.
I’ve noticed over the years that our Father in heaven seems to follow a similar pattern with us. As time goes on, he “carries” us differently in our spiritual adolescence and adulthood than He did in our infancy.
On one hand we never outgrow him. He wants the oldest among us to gratefully remember what he has done for us in the past, and that, going forward, we can’t take even a breath or a step without Him.
And yet, to make sure we don’t overstay our time in the nest, the Father seems to repeat in us a pattern that marked his relationship with the children of Israel. At first, when they cried out for deliverance from the slave yards of Egypt, he gave them a national birth through a powerful Exodus. In the wilderness wanderings and entrance into the promised land that followed, he allowed them to experience moments of great fear– often followed by miraculous visible evidence of his presence.
But then gradually, as if through years of infancy, childhood, and adolescence, the moments of “visible miracles” became less frequent. Over time, a nation rooted in supernatural origins had to learn to rise on wings of faith when they seemed to be taking care of themselves rather than being carried by him.
Maybe that’s why, in the very middle of our Bibles, we have songs of the heart expressing words like,
O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the light to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because he has been so good to me” (Psalm 13:1-6).
In the middle of crying out to God, it’s as if the songwriter remembers his roots, and finds his wings.
Note: I hope this can be a safe place to compare notes about whether you’ve seen a similar pattern in your own spiritual journey. If you don’t have time now to register or comment, we sure understand. But how about giving a quick thumbs up– or thumbs down– to indicate whether these thoughts resonate with your own experience and knowledge of the Bible.
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