Over the Edge

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 “God stirs up our comfortable nest and pushes us over the edge of them and we are forced to use our wings.”…..Hannah Whitall Smith

Hanah Whitall Smith, 2/7/1832-5/1/1911, was a lay speaker and author. She was active in the U.S. Holiness Movement. The one-time Quaker was also active in the UK and Ireland Higher Life Movement, women’s suffrage and temperance periods.

How do we react when our comfort level is breached? Life is a journey whose goal is to learn via experiences, toils and trials along with victories. Life is simply a stage for learning the lessons we need and/or helping others do the same by being role models and demonstrating what or what not to do under given circumstances.

The mother bird nudges her young out of the nest, knowing they will take flight, at the same time knowing they are petrified. Our experiences give us the opportunity to soar. Even in those circumstances when we feel our attempts fail, we walk away with a gained knowledge for future use.

I do not see Deity as a puppeteer pulling our strings. Deity created a Universe where we control our lives, everyday choices plus after-life evaluation to chart a course that will best give us the opportunities to learn life’s lessons in our next life experiences.

We do, though, need an occasional push from someone-something to get us over hurdles, out of ruts and non-productive routines, encouraging and at times forcing us to try new things. Think back on your past and the many roadblocks you faced. Were you pushed to your limits? Did you not only survive but flourish afterwards? I relate it to those dreaded road construction signs: A temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement.

Blessed Be!