Allison’s low-sugar birthday pie made by Sharon Hill for surprise birthday dinner 7/8/12

Today is my birthday. As I began this day reading God’s Word, as well as several encouraging devotional messages, I reached a SANITY epiphany.

But first, allow me to share the July 8 devotional from Streams in the Desert written by L.B. Cowman.

There is a fable about the way birds first got their wings. The story goes that initially they were made without them. Then God made the wings, set them down before the wingless birds, and said to them, “Take up these burdens and carry them.”

The birds had sweet voices for singing, and lovely feathers that glistened in the sunshine, but they could not soar in the air. When asked to pick up the burdens that lay at their feet, they hesitated at first. Yet still they obeyed, picked up the wings with their beaks, and set them on their shoulders to carry them.

For a short time the load seemed heavy and difficult to bear, but soon, as they continued to carry the burden and to fold the wings over their hearts, the wings grew attached to their little bodies. They quickly discovered how to use them and were lifted by the wings high into the air. The weights had become wings.

This is a parable for us. We are the wingless birds, and our duties and tasks are the wings God uses to lift us up and carry us heavenward. We look at our burdens and heavy loads, and try to run from them, but if we will carry them and tie them to our hearts, they will become wings. And on them we can then rise and soar toward God.

There is no burden so heavy that when lifted cheerfully with love in our hearts will not become a blessing to us. God intends for our tasks to be our helpers; to refuse to bend our shoulders to carry a load is to miss a new opportunity for growth. ~ J.R. Miller

No matter how overwhelming, any burden God has lovingly placed with His own hands on our shoulders is a blessing. ~ Frederick William Faber

On this the first day of my 57th year of life…

I am publicly declaring that while I know setting healthy boundaries and finding SANITY is possible, I’ve allowed the burdens I’ve been carrying the past few years, and the trials and tribulations I’ve been experiencing, to overwhelm me, keeping me earthbound– when I know in my heart that God has plans for me to soar.

It’s my choice to look at these burdens as blessings, and to boldly declare that no matter what happens on this difficult journey I’m traveling, God is by my side and preparing me for whatever tasks are ahead. Today I am claiming Scripture from the Book of Isaiah for all of us who have been sidetracked and temporarily grounded as we have allowed the challenges of life (and the challenging people in our lives,) to keep us from flying.

God’s Word tells us that He will not grow tired or weary in always being here for us, and that none of us can fathom His understanding of what is going on in our lives. Do you believe that? I do. And it’s time I started living as though I believe it. I believe what Scripture teaches:

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 (Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV).

And so fellow SANITY support readers, please join me in looking at the burdens we carry as blessings from the Lord Almighty, let’s vow to reattach our wings and adjust to the added weight so that we can fly higher than we could ever have imagined.

I know beyond any doubt that SANITY is possible and I’m going to find it. I’m going to take back my life and live as God intends me to live. Would anyone care to join me?

It’s a new day, a new year and a new opportunity to cling to the promises of God, and that, my friend, is the best birthday gift a person can ever receive.