SPROUTING WINGS

I remember once when I was a young boy of about 5-6 years old, I had an extremely vivid dream during which I found myself able to fly around like Superman.  In this dream I was flying above the town in which I lived, buzzing over my house and around my neighborhood, while all the neighbor kids were jealously looking up and cheering at me.

It was such a feeling of complete joy and exhilaration to be able to swoop and soar at will with complete control over the laws and effects of gravity and the world below me, that when I eventually awoke from this dream and came to the sad realization that I couldn’t really fly… I sobbed into my pillow for quite some time.

I also remember going to Sunday school as a young boy and being surprised when my teacher told me that the angels mentioned in the scriptures don’t really have wings.  I was baffled wondering “how would they be able to fly around, protect us and do what God wanted them to do if they don’t have wings?”

While this was confusing to me as a child, I later learned about how the Lord uses symbolism to teach certain principles or doctrines, and that sometimes things are figurative in their meaning.  I have also discovered that when the Lord speaks in the scriptures, the meaning of what He says is usually masterfully layered, so that over time and depending on the Spirit with which we read them, the same words or verses can open up to new and different levels of understanding.

Just this past week, as I happened to be studying in Isaiah I came across verse 2 of chapter 6, in which it mentions that Isaiah saw seraphim, “each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.”

This once again caused me to ponder over the possible meaning of these “wings”, so I did a little looking and came to find out that the original Hebrew word for wings is “kenapayim” which can also be translated as "veil" or “refuge.”  Some scholars suggest this may refer to a "protective field" or form of energy field which allows God’s angels to move about with power and also conceal or manifest themselves at will.

This got me thinking of how the Lord, in several instances, describes himself “as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings" (in a protective, veiling and concealing manner) "but ye would not".

In this world of fluctuating moral standards, shifting political landscapes, uncertain economic futures, and general unpredictability, we probably all find ourselves at times, running around like a scared Chicken Little, wondering when the sky is going to fall on our heads.

If we could only allow ourselves to more fully trust in and come unto Him, instead of running about like a bunch of scared chicks trying to do things in our own feeble way, we could be enveloped in His protective “wings” (power, energy and refuge) and be thus more empowered to move about in our lives with the ability to do His will (like his angels) as well as be veiled and protected from the influence of the world and the adversary.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Lord, give us "wings" so that we might fly!

I’m sure that once we are able to gain those kind of wings, it will be much more exhilarating and fulfilling than the fleeting flight of my childish dreams.