Fly Like An Eagle

“You are so strong.” It’s a comment I get quite often when my son ends up in the hospital with health challenges as a result of his epilepsy as he did once again this past week. Friends will say they don’t know how I do it. I often will respond by letting people know I absolutely couldn’t do it if it weren’t for the great God I serve. He is where my strength comes from. He is the one who lifts me up when I feel like I’m falling. Becoming strong in Him however, is sometimes not a fun process. It’s sort of like a baby eagle learning to fly.

Baby eagles don’t naturally know how to fly when they are born. They must be taught to fly. Eagles build their nests high on cliffs for safety. They care for and watch over their babies until their feathers have developed. But finally, there comes a day when the mama begins to stir up the nest. Stirring the nest involves removing all the soft nesting material forcing the baby eagle to stand on its own feet in order to strengthen their muscles and talons. Then, she literally pushes the baby out of the nest. As the little baby eaglet falls down toward the ground, he frantically flaps his wings and screams, probably thinking he is headed to certain death on the rocks below. But just before he hits the rocks, the mama will swoop down underneath, pick him up on her wings and take him up again high into the air, dropping him again until he learns to fly. The process strengthens him and teaches him to soar. But I’m sure it doesn’t seem so fun for the baby eagle.

Many times we face circumstances in life that leave us feeling as though we are plummeting down toward certain death on the jagged rocks below. We scream and flap our wings, so sure we aren’t going to make it. We’ve been pushed out of our comfort zone and we don’t like it. But when we trust God, just before we hit bottom, we feel His loving arms come under us and lift us up, supporting us through whatever free fall we are going through. It’s not a fun process, but we end up stronger and eventually able to soar above life’s storms.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31