Clipped Wings

"Why am I afraid to dance, I who love music and rhythm and grace and song and laughter? Why am I afraid to live, I who love life and the beauty of flesh and the living colors of the earth and sky and sea? Why am I afraid to love, I who love love?" Eugene O'Neill

Relationships are a funny thing sometimes. The interaction and interplay of emotions and desires. The push and pull of the sin nature on the new nature.

How often we cut one another off at the knees or reach out and clip a loved ones wings.....and amazingly we do not even realize we have done this! It takes great courage to speak out in love and let one another know that we have become afraid to dance....afraid to live....afraid to love.

The courage (strength of heart and mind and spirit) to honestly state how an issue is affecting us is hard to come by. Most often we lash out in anger or frustration and completely divert one another from the actual thing that is wounding us.....and then our hurtful words and actions wound one another further. To speak in love and patience with each other is a supernatural act......the Holy Spirit working in us. Blessed relief! We have no part in this......but to abide in HIM.....and the wonderful power of the Holy Spirit, as we reject our sin nature and walk in the new nature works all things together for good. What we cannot do in ourselves (be patient and forgiving and speaking truth in love) HE does for us. Oh, what peace this brings to a fluttering heart and a distressed mind.

My courage then comes straight from the beautiful new heart within me, the heart of my Savior Jesus Christ, and I am able to not try and wound because my clipped wings hurt.....I am able to say "This is why I am afraid to dance......this is why I am afraid to live..to love."

I have been guilty of cutting my dear husband off at the knees, of clipping my beautiful children's wings. My selfishness and desire for control blinds me to what I have done.

Lord, open my eyes.....give me eyes to see and ears to hear.....open my eyes wide and dig my ears deep. Let me always see the ones I love the way YOU see them. Give me discernment and awareness. When I begin to cut or clip, pierce me by Your wonderful Spirit so that I may stop. And in this process of less of me, more of YOU.....painful as it sometimes is.....may we all grow ever closer to Thee.....may Your face be my only desire....Your life my only self.

Shall we Dance?