The Eagle Soared
By Nancy Hilton
From my book God’s Wake-Up Call
Far off, into the sky, I spotted an eagle soaring above the winding path in the canyon.
I stood up and caught a fleeting glimpse of this magnificent bird as she carried food to her children.
I saw the eagle land on a ledge high above the valley.
The eagle listened to her young as they ate.
They wanted to fly, but they were not ready yet.
They moved around and flapped their wings, but stayed in place all the same.
The young birds cried out, “When will we be ready to fly? When? When?”
The mother looked at them from side to side and up and down. “Soon,” she said. “Soon.”
“You do not have enough knowledge yet,” they pleaded, asking her to teach them.
She said, “That is your father’s job — ask him.”
The father landed elegantly as he soared down and came to rest next to his family.
He heard their complaints and their wishes. He heard their wants and desires.
They were hungry even though they had just eaten.
They wanted to fly and wanted to know how. And they wanted this information now!
Their father said, “There is much to learn. We will start at the beginning.”
So they listened and learned. They questioned, they repeated, they understood.
But could they fly?
As the weeks went by, they memorized. They recited. They ate and became stronger. They flapped their wings.
Then one day, their father landed near them and said, “It is time to fly.”
They looked at him and fear entered their minds. Could they remember all the lessons? Could they do it?
Their father said to them, “Learning is not just memorizing and repeating; it is a process of understanding and growth. It is necessary that you learn to use what you have been taught. What good would you be if you stayed in the nest and never flew? Mother and I will not feed you forever. You must learn to fly and provide for yourselves. But we will always be here to help you when you fall, until you grow strong enough to fly, help others, and teach them also.”
So the little birds walked up to the ledge, each repeating in their heads their lessons.
Suddenly all was quiet. It was time to implement and live their knowledge.
They had to have faith they could fly.
They stepped off the cliff and soared in majesty like their father and mother.
© Nancy Hilton 2011
All rights reserved
