Chandler’s Parrot -or- Can You Fly?
Chandler’s Parrot Chandlers parrot, Danny, screeched and my ears hurt. The pretty bird was clutching onto the little boy’s shoulder, looking around making sure its presence was noticed. As one of those people who do not like fluttering things rushing around my head, I looked nervously at the parrot and then at Chandler. Seeing my apprehensive glance, my friend’s son spoke to me. “It’s OK, he can’t fly because he won’t let go.” Just a simple statement but it stayed with me all that day and the next day too! As Christians we are
meant to operate like the eagles and soar above the voices and sounds of this world, that’s a nice sounding “Christian” cliché’, but what exactly does that mean? I once heard a lady ask that question. A good example of “letting go” was Peter when he stepped out of his familiar territory, the boat. He saw how Jesus was not controlled by the natural realm circumstances and it seemed like a pretty good idea at the time. That water-walking stunt seemed very exciting, I mean it’s not your everyday routine is it? Well Jesus was all for it too. Peter wanted that experience, we are supposed to be like the Master after all, do the same works and all that! “Jesus, bid me come to you on the water,” Peter was ready go and if Jesus said it was all right there was no stopping him. Jesus spoke that wonderful word that Peter had waited for, “Come” and before he knew it Peter was out there on the water. He let go of what he knew and that so familiar boat. Great!! The ride of a life. He was doing just fine, but Oh! Oh! Suddenly, the winds seemed to get up a little and the waves started getting a bit out of hand, what’s this now? Peter wasn’t expecting an encounter with anything “different”, I mean when he first got the idea, it was fun when Jesus did it there was no problem. When Peter kept his EYES on Jesus and heard that invitation in his ears everything was fine, But the waves were calling out, “Look at us”, and winds were calling out, “Listen to us?” and poor old Peter had a problem – everyone vying for his attention. Funny! When he looked at Jesus it seemed to be all right, but when he looked at those waves, be began to lose it.
Maybe you have a desire in your heart that God has created there? Perhaps He has given you a promise, a word especially to encourage you to move out and fly. Maybe you even began but the waves started yelling and the wind started shaking. When the wind starts shaking, opinions start breaking loose. Sometime those opinions can seem stronger than the voice you first heard so what to do then?
Go back to the place where it’s you and Jesus once again, and ask Him to reconfirm that faith word. You see when He gives you a word, He imparts faith to go along with it. But the other things come and try to get your eyes off Him and away from your vision or your promise. Unfortunately this can sometimes come in the form of well meaning saints, or some good things that appear on your spiritual horizon. But the good things can take you away from the God things. The good things seem safer, familiar territory mostly; the God things can bring you to untrodden ground, at least untrodden to you. And you have to let go sometimes of what you know like Danny, Chandlers parrot.
When you’ve get that vision right in front of you again and get that word before your eyes, let go of what you know in the natural realm, and all the voices and opinions and fly out in the Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to let you see what He sees, about yourself, about your vision. Your friends and those around you may just see “Dear sister Nancy, she means well, bless her” they know you so well after the flesh. They can’t see you in the Spirit and they don’t see what God has put within you. They will never draw from your spiritual resources, they don’t see the way God sees, But there are others who will see and draw living water from your well, God will open a way if that is the case. Don’t strive to perform and to prove that you can fly or feel you have to prove you have something in God. Eagles don’t struggle and flap their wings around; they just spread them naturally and catch the wind currents that take them to the realms of the Spirit.
You can do the same…let go and let God have His way in your life…you will fly higher; you were born (again) to be borne.
Kathie Walters