A girl once walked, with shoulders hunched
And every step a chore
Her eyes so dull, her mouth turned down
Each day a living war.
The load she carried on her back
Was heavy, ragged, old
The sweat poured from her effort
But her heart was turning cold.
She no longer could remember
How this pack she had acquired
All she knew was she was weak
And so very, very tired.
One day along the rocky trail
The burden took its toll
She tripped beneath its pressing weight
No longer in control.
Her pack lay sprawled across the ground
Its contents all exposed
Each ugly, weighty, ancient piece
That had left her indisposed.
She lifted up the first offense
A dingy shade of gray
It smelled of must and yesteryear
And looked a lot like SHAME.
The next was black and full of holes
The stench brought her to tears
Its form was too familiar
And resembled veteran FEARS.
Other things had fallen out
Like PRIDE and STUBBORN WILL
Their scents gave her an aftertaste
Like two nasty, putrid pills.
As she sat among the mess
Her burdens on the ground
She realized what ’til now she’d not
In that rubble all around.
Her vain attempt at carrying
A load so heavy, failed.
The weight had crushed her, brought her down
And left her life derailed.
But in the fall, a glorious thing –
She lost her grip that day
The tumble led to letting go
Burdens dropping on the way.
She had the choice to pick them up
Or leave them where they fell
To refill her pack and put it on
Or send it back to hell.
As she stood, the choice was clear
She’d never felt so light
Where once was weight, there now were wings
For the first time, she took flight!
Her eyes no longer filled with tears
Could take in all things new
She soured above those scattered weights
And saw heaven from this view.
She was not meant for heavy feet
This girl was born to fly
Alive and free, with “eagle’s wings”
Into the endless sky….
Isaiah 40:31 – But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grown weary, they will walk and not be faint.
