Soaring To New Heights

Sections of this topic
    You could say this is part two to the eagle reflection I shared earlier called Flapping of Wings.
    A friend sent me a devotion today by Mary Southerland that was focused around eagles. The eagle this year continues to be an amazing teacher and guide in my life. I went on a special trip with my mom a few weeks ago and at one point there were three eagles soaring above us (two of them pictured). This devotion speaks so much to me and I hope you’ll relate as well. It even talked about how the important change of rebirth an eagle must make in its’ 40’s, which I’ll be turning in Sept. May this give you the faith and rebirth you need to soar to the greatest heights of your life!

    Devotion Insights

    Below is part of the devotion mentioned earlier from Crosswalk. titled Time for a Change?
    Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 be faint.
    When it comes to change, we have a decision to make – just like the eagle. The eagle has the longest life-span among birds. It can live up to 70 years, but to reach this age, the eagle has to make a hard decision. In its’ 40s, the eagle’s long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey, which serves as food. Its long and sharp beak becomes bent and its old and heavy wings, covered with feathers that have grown thick over the years, become stuck to its chest, making 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 difficult process requires the eagle to fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest. There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until the beak falls off. The eagle will then wait for a new beak to grow back and use the new beak to pluck out its talons. When the new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking out all of the old feathers. After five months, the eagle takes a famous flight of rebirth and lives 30 more years.
    Change is sometimes needed to survive. God may be asking you to step out in faith and make a change in your life. He has already been where He is asking you to go and prepared every step of the way for you. You don’t have to be afraid of the unknown. It is unknown only to you. God is well aware of where you are and of every step He is asking you to take. He may be asking you to get rid of old memories, eliminate destructive habits and forsake lifeless traditions. He is waiting for you to take one step. Faith in God does not come all at once. Faith is a step-by-step process that begins with one small step and increases as we go.

    My Reflections

    Yesterday, I took a step of faith in regards to paying for this transformational author program and entering a writing contest for my next book. I know that this book is a symbol of the rebirth I’m going through with my work and focus in life. After the small step of faith that I took later that night I had an author who I’ve been wanting to talk to for months, emailed me offering her support with my new book. I was in awe that it happened right after I took the first step showing my commitment to this rebirth. One small step in faith allows God to bring us to the next level we need, and so it goes step after faithful step.

    Your thoughts

    Share with us the rebirth you are preparing for and what steps of faith you’ve taken or are planning to take.

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    For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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    Janae Bower is an inspirational speaker, award-winning author and training consultant. She founded Finding IT, a company that specializes in personal and professional development getting to the heart of what matters most. She started Project GratOtude, a movement to increase gratitude in people’s lives.