"The Habits of Eagles"

"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 grow faint." Isaiah 40:31

i never realized that the eagle was such a great symbol of the christian life until i recently read a book called A Time to Dance describing how one is a reflection of the other. i don't know how accurate the author's description of the habits of eagles is, but the imagery changed me regardless.

"the eagle is the only bird that doesn't run from trouble, instead it uses the storms to take it to a higher place." like an eagle, we can take the storms of life and allow the Father to work in our lives and come out on the other side stronger, wiser and changed.

eagles provide a model of a christian marriage. "when the female knows the male is interested, she leads him on a chase through the skies, swooping and diving and soaring high above the hills. when the chase is nearly over, she flies as high as she can and flips onto her back, free-falling toward the ground. it is the male's job to place his body over hers and grasp her talons, flapping his wings with all his might to keep her from certain death. moments before they hit the ground, the female pulls out of the dive and circles the male. because he had been willing to stay even unto death, he will have proven himself as a mate. the eagles are joined for life from that point on." in this passage the author alludes to the image of the husband loving his wife as Christ loved the church; a willingness to die for it. this beautiful image also shows what a couple should do when their marriage is in a downward spiral.

this last image is the most touching of all. i have kept this image close to my heart and think about it often. after my confessions blog, this image came to mind and i was reminded just how loving and sovereign God is and how He forgives all transgressions, heals all wounds and restores life to us again. "...the eagle allows the storm to take him to a higher place...the eagle finds a rock when he's in trouble and lets the sun cleanse him from any poison. the eagle doesn't flap around like the chickens and crows and sparrows. it waits patiently on the rock for the thermal currents, and only then does it take flight. not by its own effort, but by the effort of the wind beneath its wings."

Father, help me to be more like an eagle.

peace and love