Would you rather run or fly?

By Jennie Atkins

I saw my first quail of spring today. They’re an odd bird. They have a plume, which my husband affectionately refers to as a “radar dish” on the top of their head. They can fly, but they choose to run, their tiny legs furiously working to get their bulky body out of the way. Later towards summer you see the parents crossing the road with a half dozen pint-sized versions of themselves. The little quail are no more than two inches tall and, like their parents, they run.

I can picture them after they’ve trekked to the side of the road dragging in a deep breath waiting for their little hearts to stop pulverizing their chest walls. Why when they could fly? They could soar above the danger that is bearing down on them, see their world from a different angle, and land in a safe haven of brush.

It made me wonder how often we as Christians run through our day, furiously working toward some goal, but never stopping to look at the world around us. How often do we fail to see God’s creation first hand, share a bit of God’s love and encouragement with others, or just stop and listen to His voice? Are we running, when God has provided a way for us to fly?

You might not see me, but I’m raising my hand here. I’m guilty as charged. I rush through my day, working, cleaning, checking in with the kiddos, and writing. I, like the quail, have put my feet in overdrive and never taken the time to “fly”.

God admonishes us to “be still and know that I am God”— not run ourselves ragged. He wants us to be like eagles and open our wings and let his bountiful breeze lift us above the mountain tops.

As writers, most of us also have a dreaded day job. So to accomplish our dreams we sometimes have to run around like the quail. But I encourage you to open your wings and let God show you what you are missing when you don’t “fly”.

Your turn.  Would you rather run?  Or fly?