There was a family of birds that was teaching their young to fly. The young swallows were perched on a dead branch over a lake. One of the adult swallows got alongside the chicks and started pushing them to the end of the branch. They pushed until finally one of the birds fell off. Somewhere between the branch and the water that was 4 feet below, the wings started to work, and the bird took off on its own. The second one did the same exact thing, but the third one was not to be bullied. As it started to fall off it grabbed the branch with its foot. But the parent was not sentimental; it peaked at the poor chick’s foot until it was more painful to fall than it was to hang on than deal with the insecurities of flying. The grip was released and the inexperienced wings started to pump. The mature swallow knew what the little chick did not and that is it would fly, and there was no danger in making it do what it was designed to do. Birds have feet, but flying is their characteristic action.

They are not fulfilled until they are flying, doing what they were born to do gracefully and with action. Here is a question: what were you designed to do? What are you trying to hang onto that is preventing you from living to your potential? Like the little swallow, what are you hanging onto so tightly that it causes you to look pathetic? Is it the dead branch of a bank account, or the dead branch of a relationship that has no future? Is it the dead branch of a job that you know has no future? What wings are you afraid to risk yourself on? You may not think you can do it, but that is because you have never tried. Here is another question: what are the “untried wings in your life?” Is it the untried wings of your purpose? Is it the untried wings of giving money to the kingdom of God? Catch this: the sooner you let go, the better. But the longer you wait, the less time you have for the soaring and the swooping life of grace!! When a person knows what it is like to be at the end of the branch and let go, then they will really learn what life is all about.