The Wings of an Eagle

The Wings of An Eagle

As the red-tailed hawk soared away from his Department of Wildlife handler’s arm, out and over the sanctuary, there was a collective intake of breath from the more than two thousand women in attendance at the biennial women’s conference hosted by our church.  Our theme that year was On the Wings of an Eagle, with special emphasis on Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary ; and they shall walk , and not faint." 

Our wonderful living illustrations involved an officer from the Department of Wildlife who worked with wounded birds, rehabilitating them for release into their natural habitat when at all possible.  He had demonstrated the remarkable characteristics of owls, hawks, parrots, toucans, and macaws, with each demonstration accompanied by oooh’s and aaah’s from the women.  Everything, however, was building up to the final session when he would lecture about a wounded eagle found shot and nursed back to health.  Sadly, however, she would never fly again.

The crowd of women was mesmerized by the majesty of that bird, as well as by its brokenness.  As the Wildlife Officer talked about the nature of an eagle, he emphasized her former power, her nurturing nature, her ability to glide above the storms, the great nests she built for her young.  Now, however, as he struggled with her weight upon his arm, that bird, once standing for regal strength, was only a shadow of its former self.  She was broken, unable to fly, bound to the earth, and denied the very freedom to which God had created her.

To close his talk, the officer motioned to the tech guys to begin a film distributed by a former employee of Dollywood Theme Park, in Pigeon Forge, TN, home to a large eagle sanctuary and rehabilitation center (American Eagle Foundation).  While working at Dollywood, the young man had cared for an eagle that had been shot by arrows in both of its wings.  Sadly, the wings had to be amputated, leaving the eagle with only nubs where huge wings had once been.  The eagle’s caretaker had grieved for the flightless eagle, especially when he was indulging in his second passion, hang gliding.  Whenever he would launch himself from the top of one of the beautiful Smoky Mountains, his crippled eagle would come to mind.

One day, while gliding, the young man noticed another hang glider soaring with his pet dog nestled against his chest in a custom made, fall-proof sling strapped to his chest.  Intrigued, the eagle handler went back to Dollywood and had a sling made for his eagle.  The film’s climax came when the young man launched himself from a mountaintop with his eagle firmly strapped to his chest, flying once more, not on its own strength, but resting in the strength of its master.  For just a moment, the eagle panicked, resisting the sense of being out of control.  Then, the eagle seemed to glance around, once more seeing views from above the confines of this world.  Finally, the eagle relaxed and rested, letting his handler do all of the work as the eagle, once more, did that which was thought impossible.  He not only flew; he soared!

What a beautiful picture of those who wait upon the Lord.  No matter how broken we are, no matter how we have been wounded, no matter how impossible it seems that we can ever fly again and rise above our struggles, our Heavenly Father wants us to nestle into His shoulders and to allow Him to renew our strength, to help us to run and not grow weary, and to help us to walk without stumbling.  It may feel as if we are losing control; the truth is that we have never really been in control.  It may appear unreasonable to trust; in reality, there is no other way to live.  It may defy everything we think we know.  Compared to all there is to know, just think how little we can ever know in a lifetime – apart from the faithfulness of our Father, our Master, and our Caregiver.  Rest in the Lord.  Allow Him to be your Great Physician and your Royal Caregiver.  Depend upon Him for your strength.

© 2010 Gerry Sisk

(09/15/10)