Ever heard someone saying, “I want to be as free as a bird”? Why do we think birds are free? Well, because they can fly! How many times have you watched birds soaring through the sky, seemingly effortless in their flight? Looking at the facts, you realize that it’s not as easy as that.
Take for instance the birds of New Zealand. “All birds are descended from birds that could fly. However, over half of New Zealand’s native land birds became flightless, had reduced powers of flight (such as the kōkako and saddleback), or flew reluctantly.
Before humans reached New Zealand, the country had no predatory land mammals. The main predators were birds – eagles, falcons, harriers and owls. Flying was therefore risky for other birds. More effective strategies to avoid being caught were camouflaged plumage, feeding at night, seeking cover and staying motionless.
The ability to fly was no great advantage and had considerable costs. Flying uses more energy than walking, requiring more high-energy food. Also, the extra muscles and skeletal structures needed for flight account for nearly a quarter of a bird’s body weight. If a bird could find all the food it needed close at hand, and flying was not necessary to escape predators, then flight became an expensive luxury.”
Why am I telling you this? Because you have to decide if you are an eagle or a chicken. Nothing wrong with either, but the one can soar high in the sky, the other are forever hiding under bushes and scratching on the ground for bits to eat. Take human relationships for instance. To have healthy relationships with others, be that colleagues, friends or family members, you must develop social skills, conflict resolution skills, conversation skills and emotional survival skills. It’s kind of a full-time job to build relationships! Then there is the other side as well, no matter how skilled you are, some people are going to hurt you, betray you, use you… and it’s going to hurt emotionally.
You will discover that nobody can be there for you all the time. You will experience loss and grief too, it’s part of being human.
You may think you would be better off hiding away in your house or maybe on an island or in a cabin in the mountains. Become a recluse. Guard your heart against all the emotional pain that only people can inflict on you.
It will be your choice. But you will have to pay the price of losing your wings. No heartbreak, but also no resilience. No conflict, but also no friendship. No hatred, but also no love. The less contact you have with others, the less you learn how to cope with life. And life is all about living. Living means accepting the ups and downs that life has to offer. It means to take on the challenges, to learn from them, to become stronger, to soar even higher… Yes, life can be scary. Yes, it takes a lot of effort, but you don’t have to do it alone. Remember Isaiah 40:31: “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” New International Version.
