“No matter how intense the darkness of doubt, we choose how long and to what extent we allow it to influence us. We must remember how much our Heavenly Father and His Son love us. They will neither abandon us, nor will They allow us to be overcome if we seek Their help.” (-Elder Vern P. Stanfill)
A POEM FOR THE DESPERATE
Little bird wings beat desperately
against the wind.
And yet, the little body
of soft brown feathers
stays stationary
despite its relentless efforts.
The force of the blast does not overcome
the little bird,
pushing it backwards,
but the resistance is just too great for the little bird
to make any progress.
And so it stays frozen in place
with wings flapping furiously.
I watch helplessly from the kitchen window,
willing the wind to stop,
willing the wee thing to keep trying.
I wait to see the end
of this story.
Who will win?
Wind or precious life?
I, too, face the winds
of life’s adversity.
This bird, I know,
is a symbol of me
and a symbol
of you.
However much I’d like
for the wind to cease,
it does not disappear,
but blows steadily on.
Just at the instant when I think
the little bird will give up
and turn around
to give in to the gust,
it utterly surprises me.
With a slight shift of wings
it tilts ever so slightly and begins to
coast
and glide
against the draft.
Up
and down
it soars through the gale
moving forward
at a glorious speed.
I let out a sigh,
not knowing I had been holding
my breath.
This little bird just needed
a different way
to face the flurry,
just a slight change
in perspective.
And maybe,
just maybe
that’s all we need too.
With new understanding
of the wonders
of hope,
I cheer when it reaches
the far tree,
and continues yonder
out of my view.
