Moving On

Read Isaiah 43:18-21

But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I'm going to do! For I'm going to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun! Don't you see it? I will make a road through the wilderness of the world for my people to go home, and create rivers for them in the desert! Isaiah 43:18-19 (TLB)

Jerry White lives in Florida. Jerry identifies with the baby bird that lingers in its nest outside his door. Its three siblings flew away yesterday, and it is alone. Its parents flutter by in the mornings and evenings, sometimes providing food, but mostly urging the little one to spread its wings and fly. But the baby bird is hesitant. Over and over it hops to the edge of the nest, looks around and down, and then retreats to the only place it has known.

Jerry identifies with that baby bird because he has been afraid to move on too many times. Whether it is beginning school for the first time, changing schools, leaving home, getting married, beginning a new job, moving to a new place, or retiring, life is filled with uncertainty. It is easy to hop to the edge of his comfortable nest, look around, and want to retreat to the security of what he knows.

But just as God promised the people in today's scripture reading, God will always be doing new things, always providing a way, always giving us fresh reasons to move out to do God's bidding and to proclaim God's love. Because God is our shelter, we can step to the edge of our nests, open our wings, and fly with confidence in a faithful God.

Prayer: O God, give me courage today to move out of my place of comfort and move on to the opportunities and relationships you have prepared for me, in Jesus' name. Amen.