I'm in the middle of reading "The Shack" by William P. Young and have been deeply touched by a couple of quotes and, as a whole, the dynamic and beautiful relationships portrayed in this book have widened my heart and mind to the sweet intimacy we can and do have with the Creator, Savior, and Spirit of God. I don't want to give anything away, so I'm keeping my thoughts pretty general and won't post "spoiling" quotes, in case you haven't read the book yet. So, the following two quotes have been taken from "The Shack"...

"Honey, there's no easy answer that will take your pain away. Believe me, if I had one, I'd use it now. I have no magic wand to wave over you and make it all better. Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship." (page 92)

"Pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly. And if left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place." (page 97)

Man, that last quote there really hits home!!! I hope I don't sound like a broken record to those who've been on this journey with me the past several years, but to be honest, because of the pain I've experienced from the unsettling and unexpected events in my life, I do feel like my "wings have been clipped." And I'm afraid of them growing back to the point where I can "fly" again for fear I'll be smacked again, wings clipped, and down I fall.

Needless to say, my trust in God's plan for my life isn't quite as solid as it used to be. That's a sad thing to admit, I know. But I also know that God knows where my heart is and He has and is going to continue nurturing me, mending the places that have been broken, and restoring my wings at a speed that's not too slow and not too quick. His timing is best and I'm grateful that He is patient, compassionate and tender.