Stretch out thy wings, oh flightless little bird;
Stretch out and trust, though this may sound absurd,
And lean into the nothing that is there,
This moving, empty nothing they call air.
Doth logic say that nothing holds up nought?
Then lean, and find that well doth it support!
So let it bear thee up, and by and by,
Throw all thy weight upon it; learn to fly!
But can it be that birds have so much doubt?
And do they wait till all is pointed out?
It seems they copy those who’ve gone before—
They simply stretch and flap, and soon they soar.
Unhindered by the fear that we display,
They wheel and dip, they’re flying, every day.
A lesson we can learn, and this we must:
The birds can show us well how we should trust.
Stretch out thy faith, oh trembling child of God;
Stretch out and trust, though this may seem quite odd,
And lean upon a Father you can’t see.
A Father who has said, “Child, trust in Me!”
Doth reason say, “I cannot see the end!” ?
Then trust, and find that guidance, He will send.
So let Him bear thee up, and by and by,
Throw all thy weight upon Him; learn to fly!
– Aneta Reuter
