I got a glimpse of freedom one snowy, overcast day in February. Shrugging coolness off my limbs despite layers of goose down, and fighting a numbness that crept through my gloved fingers, I fixed my gaze on a sight that has awed mankind since ancient times.

It was a bald eagle in flight.

I caught sight of it quickly. After a half hour or so of scanning the skies from a viewing deck across from Starved Rock, a wilderness retreat nestled in the far reaches of western Illinois, I had become fairly adept at singling out from afar the eagles’ black wings from the dark plumage of nearby geese and the flapping whiteness of myriad seagulls. So I was primed when suddenly, against the backdrop of a pale gray sky, a lone eagle made its appearance.

Once it became visible, the bird darted across the sky. I lunged for the nearby telescope, swung it around as it squeaked on its base, and stared through the lenses. Several seconds later, I saw the bird more clearly - the white head and zigzag of neck feathers against an ebony body, with wings outstretched. Amazing! But it was moving so fast, I couldn’t keep up with it. Jerking the telescope several times to the left, I would briefly locate the eagle but it kept disappearing. Then the eagle climbed beyond the tilt of the telescope. So I watched with the naked eye as it reached higher and higher into the sky.

Many birds were out that afternoon, but few strove for the eagle’s heights. Before long it was flying solo, and it was perfectly at ease. For the moments I watched it casually skimming the sky, it appeared not to have a care in the world. It did so little to move so far, so fast. Though it speeded from one point to another, the bird exerted almost no effort in the process - only an occasional flicker of its wingtips.

Utter abandon, no fear and little effort. I could not help but compare the eagle’s majestic sight to the seagulls that resided in the same space. Dense in number, they raced back and forth above the icy Illinois River like little torpedos with wings, constantly seeking but never finding. Whether flapping frantically above, or searching the chunks of ice below, they were typically busy, sometimes chatty and constantly moving from one place to another.

Despite the seagulls’ hyperactivity, the eagle did not change its pace or place. And it did not get tired, gliding and looping through the air until it decided to seek new terrain - gradually moving to the right until it eventually disappeared from view.

As I continued to stare at the sky after the bird’s departure, I thought about how God tells us we can go through life, experiencing the same sense of freedom and ease the eagle does in flight - by letting Him do the “heavy lifting” in the stresses and trials we face every day:

There is something so appealing about knowing we do not have to go through life stressed and fatigued. Though demands claw at us constantly, imposed on us by jobs, finances, family members, friends and ourselves, God wants to enable us to survive the madness without sacrificing our sanity.

Waiting on God so He can equip us to be spiritually and emotionally free in any circumstance can be easier said than done. I think of my own struggles to ride those eagles’ wings, and how my grip often slips despite my desire to hold on.

For me, negative circumstances have had a lot to do with an unsteady grasp. Bad situations often lead me to focus on a fear of flying, instead of trusting the mastery of the One who guides the flight. There’s nothing like those moments when instead of soaring above the situation, I lie trapped, squirming and gasping for air under a two-ton elephant of stress and unhappiness, and all I can do is wonder if and how I will survive the pressure.

Physically we may be on the ground - maybe even underground in terms of how we feel due to our circumstances - but with Jesus we can climb out, get up and fly high. We may feel like garbage trying to get there, and question if the effort makes any difference, but Jesus will bring us through if we let Him lead. If we aren’t too proud or self-sufficient to ask for help, He will sustain us.

I am learning that a key to “mounting with wings like eagles” in life is to develop a thankful attitude for the good God does in our lives, and for the good lessons He teaches in the bad situations He allows us to experience. This goes beyond positive thinking - it is about giving God His due for the blessings He gives us every day, in every moment, particularly when the heat is on.

Disappointments can sap our desire to thank God. Sometimes it is a real struggle to scrounge up a bit of thanks when it appears He has let us down. However, when we thank Him regularly, especially when least inclined to do so, it brings us closer to Him. Reaching for Him in the middle of disappointment can make our desire to know Him keener. It also grows our ability to love Him, and deepen our ability to experience His love and ease.

Jesus Christ wants us to experience the freedom and ease of the eagle’s flight. He wants to take us to life’s highest heights, ones He planned for you before time began and that you will never reach without Him. In contrast to the anxious, noisy clamor of seagulls (and other diversions) around us, He wants more for those who are His. He wants us to experience His best blessings in our lives, and one of His most precious gifts is peace. If we say yes to Him, Jesus will teach us gradually how to relax and experience His ease, and also lead us on a path to experience how great His love is for us.

©Copyright 2004 Ann Pinkney. All rights reserved.