When Doves Fly was inspired by what happens after the flood.

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Most of us know the story of Noah. The rain came. The waters rose. Eventually the storm passed, but the earth was still covered in water. Noah sent out a dove searching for dry ground. At first there was nowhere for her to land. Later she returned carrying an olive leaf, the first beautiful sign that life was beginning again. When Noah released her again, she did not return.

 

That image became the heart of this song, because all of us know something about storms.

 

Not always storms made of rain and thunder, but the ones that come through loss, disappointment, relationships, family, fear, uncertainty, failure, and seasons that seem determined to knock us down.

 

Sometimes they come one after another.

 

You fight to stay afloat. You keep moving even when you are exhausted. You take one more step because stopping is not an option. After a while, surviving becomes so normal that you almost forget what peace feels like.

 

That is where this song begins.

 

                “Never thought I’d see it through

                 Got used to clouds that never moved...”

 

There are seasons when the clouds seem permanent. You cannot see what is waiting beyond them. You may not even believe there is anything beyond them, but eventually, sometimes almost imperceptibly, morning begins finding the edges again.

 

You breathe differently.

You notice a little light.

 

Something inside you starts believing that maybe the storm was not the end of your story.

That is when the dove flies.

 

To me, the dove represents what happens when we finally loosen our grip and open our heart to what God is doing inside us.

 

Peace.

Grace.

Beauty.

Hope.

 

Not because every problem has suddenly disappeared. Not because everything that was damaged has instantly been restored. The first dove did not find dry ground. The flood was still there.

 

Sometimes the storm ends long before the effects of the storm do, but then comes the olive leaf.

 

One small piece of green against an endless world of water.

 

It did not mean everything was restored. It meant something was growing. That is an important part of faith for me. God can be working in places we cannot see. Healing can begin before we recognize it. New life can be growing underneath the surface while everything above it still looks flooded. Sometimes all we receive at first is one small sign.

 

One breath.

One peaceful morning.

One person.

One opportunity.

One little green leaf reminding us that the water will not remain forever.

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And eventually Noah released the dove again.

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This time, she did not return.

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For this song, that does not represent walking away from God. It represents learning to walk forward while trusting that God is still there.

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There are times in life when we desperately reach for God because we have nowhere else to turn. We ask for signs. We ask for direction. We ask Him to show us that everything is going to be okay.

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Then something changes.

The storm passes.

Our feet become steady again.

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And sometimes we no longer receive the same signs we once needed.

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That does not mean God disappeared.

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It may mean something He has been teaching us has finally taken root.

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That is why the bridge says:

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              “So I opened up my hands

               Let her rise into the blue
               Not because I stopped believing
               Because now I could finally walk too.”

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There is something beautiful about releasing the dove instead of desperately trying to keep her.

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You open your hands.

You watch those white wings rise.

You trust what God has already placed inside your heart.

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And then you take another step.

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The dove can fly because you can finally walk.

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That is what When Doves Fly means to me.

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It is about surviving the flood without allowing the flood to become your identity. It is about recognizing the small signs of life returning. It is about trusting that God is working even in the places you cannot see.

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And it is about understanding that His presence is not measured only by the moments when we can clearly see, hear, or feel Him.

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Sometimes faith is simply opening your hands, looking toward the sky, and taking the next step.

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Because when doves fly...

hope is never far behind.