Wide Open
A mockingbird built a nest this spring in the honeysuckle vines wrapped around the trellis in our backyard.
A few days ago, the eggs hatched.
Now every time we walk outside and peek into the nest, all we see are four wide open beaks.
Honestly, the beaks seem bigger than the birds themselves.
Wide open.
Pointed upward.
Waiting.
They don’t know where the food comes from.
They don’t understand the process.
They just know they need something beyond themselves to survive.
And that image has stayed with me.
Because somewhere along the way, most of us stop living wide open.
Life teaches us to become guarded.
Careful.
Self-sufficient.
We learn how to survive disappointment by lowering expectation.
We protect ourselves by pretending we don’t really need anything.
But dependence has always been uncomfortable for us.
Even spiritually.
We don’t mind God being a consultant.
We struggle with Him being our source.
We like the idea of faith until it requires trust.
Real trust.
The kind that admits:
“I can’t sustain myself forever.”
Jesus said we’re supposed to come to God like children.
Not childish.
Dependent.
Aware that life itself is a gift.
Aware that pride makes terrible sustenance for the soul.
Those birds in that nest aren’t embarrassed by their need.
They were created to live that way.
Wide open.
And maybe maturity isn’t becoming less dependent on God.
Maybe it’s finally becoming honest about how dependent we’ve always been.
That made me think...
What would change if we stopped pretending we had everything handled?
Subscribe:
One thought, every weekday morning, straight to your inbox for free!
So grateful when friends share First Light. Every share helps the message reach someone who might need it today.
#FirstLightBlog #Faith #TrustGod #ChristianThoughts #Leadership #SpiritualGrowth #Hope #Truth #Jesus