In writing and sharing our book, Third Calling: What are you doing the rest of your life?, we meet numerous people who are feeling restless or are anticipating change. We know this time of life is filled with opportunities to explore new adventures and follow renewed calling. It is an extraordinary season, even though it may feel scary and uncertain.
Many years ago, a friend handed the following message to me. It was hand-typed on a piece of pink paper; I still have it tucked in a Bible. The story of the eagle and her nest deeply impacted me at the time and does so even more in my Third Calling. Since then, I have also become increasingly fascinated with the majesty of the eagles soaring above our home and water. I hope this short essay encourages your heart today.
When God Stirs Your Nest
Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. The Lord alone led him…
Deuteronomy 32:11-12 NIV
One of the most beautiful portrayals of God in the Bible is the comparison between Him and the mother eagle.
In studying this king of birds we find a parallel between the mother eagle and her young and the relationship that you and I enjoy as His children.
In caring for her young, the first thing the mother eagle does is select the right place to build a nest–usually
on a high rocky ledge in ragged, desolate country–away from everything that would harm or be dangerous to her babies.
Then begins the task of building a nest. Gathering sticks and pieces of wood, she builds the basic framework, then lines it with briars. A layer of rabbit skin and then a soft bed of feathers provide a nice comfortable nest.
The eggs are laid and finally the eaglets are hatched. Everything is cozy in their little home. They have everything they’ll need–warmth, food, fellowship, love and security. With not a worry in the world.
Mother is feeding them and they grow pleasingly plump. What a world!
Then suddenly the picture changes. One day, their mother reaches in with her beak and does a seemingly terrible thing! She picks out the comfortable lining, leaving her babies wriggling frantically in a nest of briars!
At this point, the mother hovers over the nest and flutters her wings as if to say, “It may seem like trouble but I am right here. Don’t worry.”
Up to this point, the eaglets have felt comfort in their mother’s massive sheltering wings. (An eagle’s wingspread is normally about 7 feet.) Now they squawk, seemingly crying out “Help us! You’ve always made us comfortable and supplied our needs before. Why don’t you stop this suffering?” As they continue to squirm in their torment, they begin to think of leaving the nest.
The mother eagle has always been close by, but never closer than now during this change. Now, she places the tip of her great wing on the edge of the nest and begins to gently coax the frightened eaglets, encouraging them to get off the briar and onto her wing.
In their confusion and doubting, they hesitate, not knowing what to expect. She continues to coax them
and if they don’t make a move, she begins to withhold their food–until they get the idea
Finally, one of them takes the first step. One little eaglet wobbles unsteadily onto its mother’s mighty wing. Slowly and surely the others follow.
With a mighty lunge, up, up, up into the wide blue yonder she soars with the frightened little offspring holding on for dear life. They are in a whole new beautiful world ascending 1,000 then 2,000 feet up. Their fright gives way to wonder and excitement. Not only is their new world big and beautiful, but they are discovering the real power and majesty of their mother.
They are fast becoming accustomed to this new life to the point they don’t want to go back to their nest. Then, after a few trips like this up into the blue, she does another terrible thing. She turns a flip-flop in mid-air, causing the little eaglets to hurtle toward the earth and apparent sudden death!
As they screech and try to beat the air frantically, it looks like the end, when with pinpoint precision, she dives down and just in time, comes up under them with her mighty wings, and takes them on high again.
After a few times of this terrifying experience, the little eaglets continue to beat the air with their wings until all of a sudden, they feel buoyancy. They are making their first feeble attempt to fly.
These young flyers are now on the threshold of leaving the nest for good and flying on their own to a new life, but the mother has one more lesson to teach them. It is said that an eagle can see far off. This amazing bird knows the direction of a storm even before it arrives. As a storm approaches, the eagle bares its breast, sets its wings, and readies itself.
The turbulence and violence that make up the storm is the very thing that lifts the eagle and causes her to ride the storm and stay aloft until it passes by.
Her last lesson to her children is how to set their little wings so they can ride the storms of life.
The mother eagle not only portrays an all-wise, loving Heavenly Father, but provides us a beautiful lesson on how to trust God, to commit our problems to Him, and to find that with each problem, each storm of life, He gives us new dimension of His love and power.
She teaches us that each cross we bear becomes a new proving ground for the love of God in our lives.
So, if your nest is being stirred in some way at this time, if you are going through a time of trial and testing, consider that of the mother eagle. God has something better for you!
Essay written by an unknown author
Featured picture taken by Richard Bergstrom at Martha Lake, 2015
Eaglets photo by © CanStock
