July 8

"They shall mount up with wings as eagles."(Isa.40:31)

There is a fable¹ about the way the birds got their wings at the beginning. They were first made without wings. Then God made the wings and put them down before the wingless birds and said to them, "Come, take up these burdens and bear them."

The birds had lovely plumage and sweet voices; they could sing, and their feathers gleamed in the sunshine, but they could not soar in the air. They hesitated at first when bidden to take up the burdens that lay at their feet, but soon they obeyed, and taking up the wings in their beaks², laid them on their shoulders to carry them.

For a little while the load seemed heavy and hard to bear, but presently, as they went on carrying the burdens, folding them over their hearts, the wings grew fast to their little bodies, and soon they discovered how to use them, and were lifted by them up into the air━the weights became wings.

It is a parable³. We are the wingless birds, and our duties and tasks are the pinions⁴ God has made to lift us up and carry us heavenward. We look at our burdens and heavy loads, and shrink from them; but as we lift them and bind⁵ them about our hearts, they become wings, and on them we rise and soar toward God.

There is no burden which, if we lift it cheerfully and bear it with love in our hearts, will not become a blessing⁶ to us. God means our tasks to be our helpers; to refuse to bend our shoulders to receive a load, is to decline a new opportunity for growth. ━J. R. Miller⁷

Blessed is any weight, however overwhelming, which God has been so good as to fasten with His own hand upon our shoulders. ━F. W. Faber

七月八日

“他们必如鹰展翅上腾。” （赛四十：31）

相传有一个寓言，说鸟类最初被造的时候，是没有翅膀的。神将翅膀造好了放在牠们面前，对牠们说：“来，戴起这些翅膀来”。

那时的鸟类也有丰美的羽毛和悦耳的歌喉；牠们戴起翅膀来的时候，牠们起初还不大愿意，但是不久就服从了，用嘴尖啄起翅膀来，安在肩头上。

起初，肩头上的担子似乎很重，背着也很费力，但是不一会，牠们将翅膀展开，觉察了利用翅膀的方法，于是就能高飞空中━啊，重担变成了翅膀！

读者，这是一个比喻，我们就是那些无翅的小鸟，我们的工作和职务是神替我们预备带领我们向天的翅翼。我们也顶会望着我们面前的重担畏缩；但是只要我们一挑起那担子来，它们便会变成我们的翅膀，藉着牠们我们便能飞向神去。

如果我们高高兴兴地用爱心负起一切重担来，我告诉你，没有一件重担不能变成我们的福祉。神原命定我们的工作来做我们的帮助的；所以读者阿，拒绝一个重担，就是拒绝一个新的生机。━密勒

凡是神亲手系在我们肩头上的重担，无论怎样沉重，都是可喜爱的。━费勃尔

1 fable   

n.寓言；童话；神话

参考例句：

• The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。
• He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

2 beaks   

n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者

参考例句：

• Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的，嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网
• Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网

3 parable   

n.寓言，比喻

参考例句：

• This is an ancient parable.这是一个古老的寓言。
• The minister preached a sermon on the parable of the lost sheep.牧师讲道时用了亡羊的比喻。

4 pinions   

v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• These four pinions act as bridges between the side gears. 这四组小齿轮起到连接侧方齿轮组的桥梁作用。 来自互联网
• Tough the sword hidden among pinions may wound you. 虽然那藏在羽翼中间的剑刃也许会伤毁你们。 来自互联网

5 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

6 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

7 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。