Just Ask the Eagle.

About a year ago, I had an interesting thing happen to me. 

There was a video I saw of an eagle being released into the wild after being rehabilitated. It was a quick 3 minute video that I just happened to come across on Youtube and it spoke to me in a way I didn’t understand…. until now. 

The video was unusual in that it was very quiet. There was very little noise and with several people in the video, no one spoke a word. It was as if they were being very reverent of what this moment represented. 

The beginning of it started with a man hunched down beside this huge cage. He carefully opened it and out walked this huge eagle. As soon as the eagle left the cage, natural instinct kicked in and its wings spread out as if it were ready for take off. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t ready. The eagle kinda walked around like it was trying to find its confidence. It would go over to the edge of the mountain, stop, and then hop over to another area still with its wings fully extended. All the while, the team involved in its rehabilitation watched in silence. 

After a couple of minutes of this eagle pacing around, it suddenly just leaps off the edge of the mountain and disappears. Seconds later, it swoops up in its new found strength and flies off into the sky as everyone stands cheering.

Oh my goodness, this video speaks to me in so many ways!

I have heard it discussed that the mountain top is usually related to a place of victory. It’s like you have finally arrived at the point where you can look down and see all the challenges you overcame with gratitude because you made it to the top. It’s a place of celebration! You can rest and reflect on the long journey with a sense of great accomplishment.

However, as I watched this eagle take steps to the edge of the mountain with hesitation, the mountain top had a new meaning. For the eagle, it was a place of fear, uncertainty, and potential danger. 

This eagle that had just come from its safe place of protection, provision, and healing was now being released to find its own way. The lingering question throughout this process was, would the eagle accept the challenge? Would it find its courage and jump? If it did jump, would it be able to fly?

The answer to all these questions was, yes. 

How about you, friend? Are you like the eagle? Is it time for you to spread your wings and fly? 

Life can be very scary, I know. You may be standing on the edge of a huge mountain and your only way off is to jump. You know it’s your time to jump. Your natural instincts are telling you it's time. You can feel it. Your time of healing has come to an end and it’s time for you to spread your wings and fly.

The lingering question is, will you? 

Will you take that single step of faith and fly into your full potential or will you stay stuck on your mountain of comfort too afraid to jump?

Is taking that step scary? Yes, but is it worth it? 

Just ask the eagle.