“Oh for the wings of a bird,” we cry,
To carry us off to an untroubled sky
Where we can dwell untouched by care
And always be free as a bird in the air—

But there is a legend that is very old,
Not often heard and seldom told,
That once all birds were wingless too,
Unable to soar through the skies so blue—

For, while their plumage was beautifully bright
And their chirping songs were liltingly light,
They, too, were powerless to fly
Until one day when the Lord came by
And laid at the feet of the singing birds
Gossamer wings as He spoke these words:

“Come take these burdens, so heavy now,
But if you bear them You’ll learn somehow
That as you wear them they’ll grow light
And soon you can lift yourself into flight”–

So folding the wings beneath their hearts,
And after endless failures and starts,
They lifted themselves and found with delight
The wings that were heavy had grown so light—

So let us, too, listen to God’s wise words,
For we are much like the “wingless birds,”
And if we would shoulder our daily trials
And learn to wear them with sunny smiles,
We’d find they were wings that God had sent
To lift us above our hearts discontent—

For the wings that lift us out of despair
Are made by God from the weight of care,
So whenever you cry for “the wings of a bird,”
Remember this little legend you’ve heard
And let God give you a heart that sings
As He turns your burdens to “silver wings.”

~Helen Steiner Rice~