Eagles Make Tough Decisions Too

Some of us have seen an eagle, in real life, at least once.  I had the pleasure of beholding the majestic soar of one of those magnificent birds quite recently. It was on a trip to Kenora, Ontario.  I took some time to do the scenic Lake of the Woods cruise on the M.S. Kenora at lunch time.  I had been snap-snapping away when,suddenly, someone brought to my attention an eagle in full flight.  In short order, it alighted at the top of a tree and then I lost sight of it as the boat passed by that island.  Funnily enough, I had not had a chance to grab a photo of it when I saw it.  However, as I reviewed my photos afterward, I was glad to see that I had unwittingly and inadvertently caught it in flight when I was busy snapping something else.

Stories about eagles, or references to eagles, have been a part of my life since I was a child.  One of my mom's favourite Bible passages is the last part of Isaiah 40.  The very last verse has an encouragement for those who wait on the Lord.  It says, "...they shall mount up with wings as eagles."  There is a picture of an eagle - wings in full span - at the top of the staircase in our family home. And, many of us have heard the adage, "You can't fly like an eagle if you hang with chickens!"  That, from the fact that you'll never see eagles travelling in flocks.  

Whenever I have significant life-changing moments...well, if we want to be technical, each moment is a "significant life-changing moment" as it brings its own choice to make. But, I don't want to be technical. :-) I'm talking about the big moments; the moments that you know herald a breakthrough or a major change in direction; the moments that say, "This is big!  Your life, as you've known it, has changed."  (What? Your significant moments don't talk?)  So, whenever I have those kinda moments I always think of myself as an eagle - soaring high.  Remember that card from a former co-worker I'd mentioned several posts ago? "She always knew she could fly...The question remained, how high."  Those sentiments fit right into my life.  My thoughts go as far as hoping that those who would try to cage this here eagle, would quickly understand that it is impossible to do so.  There is no point in resenting how high an eagle flies - flying higher than any other bird - because it's just what it does.  We have a Jamaican saying, "What is fi yuh, cyaan be un- fi yuh." It means, what is for you can't be for anyone else. I have experienced an abundance of God's blessings over the years - and my heart is ever thankful.  Yet, He still amazes me with the what and when, but, especially, the how.  Some I just never see coming!  He causes me to soar and He makes me strong.  And, I remain confident that He will remain faithful.   I need strength from Him.  After all, even eagles have tough decisions to make.

One of the less popular stories I've read about the eagle came by way of an email years ago:

The eagle has the longest life-span of its species - up to 70 years.  But, to reach this age, the eagle must make a hard decision - in its 40s.  The long and flexible talons can no longer grab and hold on to its prey; the long and sharp beak becomes bent.  Its old-aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly.  The eagle is then left with only two options: die or go through a painful process of change which lasts 150 days.  The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest.  There, the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out.  After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its talons.  When new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old-aged feathers.  After five months, the eagle takes its flight of rebirth and lives for about 30 more years.

Hmmm.

There it is!  Right...there.

Zooming by on Lake of the Woods as we cruise on the M.S. Kenora

Claudia 

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