Consider The Eagles

During Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He gives some amazing illustrations as to His ability to provide for you and I, when he says, "Consider the lillies of the field. . ." and "Consider the birds of the air. . ." And so this morning, I awoke considering one of those birds indeed. And not that I'm Jesus, although I'm striving to be like Him, I'd like to share with you some thoughts and I'd like to begin similar to the way Jesus did. . . Consider the Eagles!

Eagles have always fascinated me. They are amazing birds. Their abilities to soar higher than others can, see things that others can't, move faster through the air than others . . . truly the eagle is really peerless when it comes to all other birds. But I also know that their tremendous strength is not automatic, it doesn't just happen. They are not just born with these amazing abilities - they are birthed in the midst of struggle. If the life of the eagle proves anything is that strength is truly born in the midst of struggle.

Before they are ever born, the struggle begins. As with all birds, the eagle gains necessary strength by being forced to fight their way through the shell of an egg. If it intends to live, if it intends to survive it must fight through the resistence created by what to you and I may seem fragile, but to that infant fledgling eaglet, it seems like a mountain in it's path. I've been told, that if the mother bird were to simply remove the shell for the baby bird, the strength that is needed to survive would not be gained and ultimately the eaglet would either die or be severely handicapped. How many times have we begged God to remove our struggle, our dilemna from our life when God knows that we are gaining necessary strength. Others may look at us and think that our stuggle seems trivial but to us it is monumental. So while others may lessen our struggle, it's our struggle and it is designed to give us the necessary strength to help us be prepared for the flight to come.

As the eagle grows and he matures, there comes a time when the necessary strength has been gained and Momma Eagle knows that if her eaglet is going to survive, be able to eat on its own, be able to provide for itself, be able to function as it was intended, she must make life uncomfortable. She will begin to tear apart the once comfortable nest made for young babies. The things that she placed in there to make it soft and comfortable, she now rips out and she allows the barbs and the sticks and the rough patches come through to make the now maturing eagle extremely uncomfortable. It will begin to desire to move outside of it's comfort zone and begin to climb and move around looking for a place that will provide the comforts that it once enjoyed. Many times, we get so comfortable. We're happy with our place in God what we're doing and where we are and meanwhile, God wants us to move to new places in Him. And if we're unwilling to go on our own, He has to begin to make us uncomfortable. Like the momma eagle, He begins to tear apart our nest because He knows, that if we will get out of our comfort zone, there will be new places that we can achieve in Him.

Finally, there comes a time when the eagles wings have fully developed. His feathers are full and complete and it's time to fly. The mother eagle knows that there would be nothing worse than having a full grown, mature, powerful bird who was created to soar above storms and to rise about winds who never learned to fly. Having made the nest uncomfortable she now forces her offspring out of the nest. It may seem cruel, but under her watchful eye she kicks him out. She may even drop him from high distances all in an effort to force him to use those powerful wings. It is only when forced to learn, sometimes even the hard way, that the eagle begins to realize the fulfillment of what it's capable of. Sometimes, God does the same thing. He knows what we are capable of. He knows what He created us to accomplish. And sometimes, even thought it's uncomfortable for us and it may even seem cruel, but God pushes us to places where those things that we count on are removed and we are forced to test those fully developed wings and finally begin to soar.

So when Isaiah says, "They that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings like eagles. . ." Mounting up is never an easy process. It requires us to struggle through some things. It requires us to get out of places of comfort. It may even require God to push us out over the edge. But if we will continue forward toward growth and maturity, in the midst of the worst storms of our life, we will be able to "mount up", rise above our adversity. We will discover that the thing that we thought had come to destroy us, is actually the force that is pushing us even higher than we've ever been before.

So . . . Consider the eagles . . . there are more lessons to learn but today just remember that growth is a process and whereever you are on the maturity time line, be aware that the struggles of today provide the necessary strength of tomorrow. And eventually, you must come to the realization that you were created to soar. It's time to stop hanging on the ground with the chickens and the turkeys - you were created for more - you were created for more. It's time to soar!

God bless - thankful to be amongst eagles! Let's rise to the heights that God intended! Until next time -- RP

Artistic Explosion

Today, as I look out the windows in our home, I am absolutely amazed at the brilliant and diverse colors that God has painted across the Virginia landscape. Having lived in Virginia all my life, I think sometimes I've taken for granted just how amazing God's artistry is and certainly how breathtakingly colorful He can be at this time of the year. If you've never seen a Virginia landscape in the autumn, you owe it to yourself to take a ride through Shenandoah National Park during October. It is truly a sight that will make anyone stop and in awe remember how truly amazing our great God is.

True of the autumn leaves and the Virginia landscape, even moreso in the lives of His most amazing handiwork - you and I. As I've taken some time over the last few weeks to reflect on my own life, I've discovered that the old poem is true. During those moments in my life when I can observe only one set of footprints on the sandy shore, while the toughest moments in my life, it was truly the hands of God who were upholding me and carrying me through them. His amazing handiwork is truly evident in every corner of my life.

From the moment I was born, His artistic brushstrokes have been at work in an effort to produce His masterpiece in my life. The parents that I have, the childhood I grew up experiencing, the pastors & youth pastors who prayed over me and cared for me, those moments and experiences around altars in His presence, my baseball coaches, acceptances and rejections, successes and failures, friends made in my High School years that remain to this day, college experiences, meeting my future wife, our first date, our wedding two years later, seeing our two amazing children be born, experiencing 15 years of a wonderful marriage together, discovering the older I get, the wiser my parents are, God showing Himself to be ever faithful . . . brushstrokes. Ministry opportunities, moments of accomplishment, times I'm thankful for - even some moments that I'd rather not relive. Beautiful, colorful, amazing brushstrokes.

But no masterpiece is complete without those dark undertones that add depth and create perception. Lost jobs, hurt feelings, lost relationships, broken dreams, failed ideas. . . wounds, hurts, moments that I scratched my head and wondered what God was even up to - thinking that maybe He'd walked away from the canvas and decided to discard the artistic piece He'd begun. Dark places where at times confusion and frustration were the feelings of the day and questions reigned foremost in my mind. While I wandered in disillusionment and wondered what God's plan was, He never wavered. God's plan for the canvas was fixed in His mind and the dark colors were simply being added to provide depth of character and allow the bright colors to have more significance.

In the 3rd verse of Job 28, Job declares, "He setteth an end to darkness. . ." During those moments when it feels dark - there seems to be nothing else to look at. It seems to be at every turn, on every corner of our lives. But I take comfort in knowing that in the midst of Job's darkest days, He could say, "God sets an end to the darkness. . ." At some point the dark hues have been applied and the pigments are attached to the canvas and the depth of character has occurred and God's dark color application has come to an end. . .

What are you facing right now? Do you feel as if there are some dark places that you are in right now? Do you wonder if it will ever end? Well - it's all a part of God's handiwork. His masterpiece for your life is just being worked on. Brushstroke after brushstroke - color after color - a true artistic explosion where God is creating some of His most amazing work in your life. You may not realize it right now but it's simply because your standing too close to the artwork. Take a step back and look at the masterpiece as a whole, realize that God's may not be finished yet - allow the Master Artist to continue to apply brushstroke after brushstroke - submit yourself to the Master - and allow Him to complete the Good work that He began in you.

Loving God - appreciating His handiwork - enjoying His artistic explosion - and thankful to share with all of you again. Until next time - allow God to apply all of His colors onto the canvas of your life and watch His Masterpiece begin to come to life! - RP