On Eagle's Wings

        The eagle perches majestically on the evergreen branches, its sharp eyes surveying the landscape.  The wind starts to blow.  Without warning, the evergreen branch shakes.  The eagle spreads its wings, launches into the air and glides silently towards the mountain in the distance.  Just when it seems the eagle would crash into the mountain cliff wall, it moves its wings ever so slightly and begins to spiral upward, catching the updraft from the wind until it has gone up beyond the ridge.

        Beyond the mountain and into the plains, the eagle glides towards the dark clouds.  Under those clouds is a thermal - a column of air that rises upwards as it gets heated by the ground.  With outstretched wings, the eagle floats on the updraft and spirals upward to higher and higher heights until it is but a speck in the sky. Finally satisfied with its altitude, the eagle heads northward, its white head and tail feathers catching the sunlight as it sails out of view.

        The eagle flew with such grace and elegance with hardly any effort at all. (Eagles can fly up to 10,000 feet with barely a flap of their wings.)

        Soaring -- Eagles soar, most birds do not. 

        I can be an eagle! 

        Instead of profusely flapping my wings like a sparrow valiantly using up my energy so as not to fall back to earth, I can simply learn to stretch out my wings, relax, let go, and rest upon His strength to take me higher to where He wants me to go.

        This eagle will never become exhausted or weak from soaring.  I can be God's little eagle, waiting on Him, spreading my wings and soaring on His wind current to take me higher and higher to new spiritual heights.

        Thousands of years ago when ornithology wasn't even in the human vocabulary and when scientists still have to discover the mechanics of wind thermals and updrafts, Isaiah already knew the answer: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles." (Isaiah 40:31)

        Amazing, isn't it?  :-)

~florent flora