An old legend relates that long ago God had a great many burdens which He
wished to have carried from one place to another on earth, so He asked the
animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not
helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on.
Finally the birds came to God and said, "If you will tie the burdens into
small bundles, we'll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we
would like to help."
So God fastened upon the back of each one a small bundle, and they all set
out walking across the plain to their destination. They sang as they went,
and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. Every day the
burdens seemed lighter and lighter, until the loads seems to be lifting the
birds, instead of the birds carrying the burdens.
When they arrived at their destination, they discovered that when they
removed their loads, there were wings in their place, wings which enabled
them to fly to the sky and the tree tops.
They had learned how to carry their burdens, and their loads had become
wings to carry them nearer to God.
Burdens we carry for others may become wings of the spirit, to lift us into
happiness such as we have never known.
