So STOP HUSTLING and do this instead...
A few years ago, God spoke to me so clearly it may as well have been audible. We were on a family day out for my birthday at the grounds of a local castle and were happily munching away on hot donuts while watching a birds of prey display. Then came the voice so clear…’Vicky, I want you to study the eagle’. At the time I was in the middle of launching a new business venture and it was a crazy-busy time. I knew straight away that God was wanting to speak wisdom into my current situation and that it would probably have a lot to do with the way an eagle allows the storms and thermals to lift it to a higher place, the way it seems to soar effortlessly and basically reminding me that I was doing too much. I was convinced I already knew all that stuff but I figured if God had taken the time to stop me mid-donut to speak so clearly, I should at least go and Google the eagle again and be open to what He wanted to impart.
Lessons From The Eagle
I was up for hours that same night researching on the internet, reading studies, scientific facts and articles and was fascinated to learn about so many of the habits and characteristics of the eagle that we can take massive value from when applied to our own lives. I could see immediately the lessons God was trying to communicate and what I learned from that time of study has changed not only my perspective but the way I operate in both business and life.
Ok, so many times I forget and go back into my autopilot ‘striving and hustling’ mode but when I remember the lessons that God taught me during that time and re-apply those same principles, everything changes.
The simplest of all the lessons I learned from this study of eagles is one which I’m sure we all already know. I knew it too but really needed a timely reminder and God entered with this beautiful illustration to speak to me right where I was at. I know I’m not the only one regularly needing to be reminded of this principle so here it is for those of you that like me, are by nature, big ‘doers’…
Soaring Not Striving
The eagle is not known for it’s ‘flapping’ in flight, but rather it’s ability to ‘soar’. Why is that?
It would sure go against my logic if I had wings and was meant to fly, to simply stretch them out and expect to get anywhere rather than hurriedly flapping them up and down in an effort to propel myself higher, further and faster. Admittedly, I can relate to that in so much of my life to date.
Anyone else with me here?
Seems crazy right??
Yet the eagle, one of the most powerful, majestic birds (affectionately known as the ‘king of the sky’ or the ‘king of birds’) does EXACTLY that!
A scientific study I read explains it well…
‘Eagles are capable of sustained, flapping flight and yet, they spend very little time doing it. In the eagles we studied, each bird averaged just 2 minutes per hour of flapping flight. It takes much less energy for those huge wings to maintain a bird in soaring or gliding flight…probably around a 20th of the power required for flapping and yet they can reach much higher heights with this alternative method of flight than if they flapped for the same amount of time. Therefore eagles will always choose to soar or glide when possible’
Stop The Hustle
I believe wholeheartedly that as Christians we were created to soar but so often when we talk about ‘soaring’ in life we associate it with accomplishing and achieving and with that can often come thoughts that we’re not doing or being enough. We come up with our action-packed programs and activities, vigorously and zealously flapping our wings and ‘performing’ in our busyness and yet often in that, achieving very little.
The bible says in Isaiah 40:31 that ‘those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and soar on wings like eagles’.
I’m convinced that ‘soaring’ God’s way is the opposite of the world’s wisdom and is not in any way connected with flapping or striving to fly and be productive. Rather, it’s following the way of the eagle who takes off with some focused and intentional motion of it’s wings and then waits patiently for the right thermal current or wind to come before spreading out its wings and riding the current, re-adjusting it’s posture and allowing that wind to propel it to the next level and onto greater heights (almost effortlessly) than it could ever reach in a lifetime of flapping.
Reaching The Heights
The hardest lesson for most Christians is to wait on the Lord – to listen, to remain sensitive to His leading, to wait for His wisdom, His direction and His perfect timing in all that He’s leading us into. If we can learn to lean into this and decide to live from that place of ‘resting’ while still in motion, while still working at whatever it is that our busy days demand of us then I know we’ll reach heights we could never imagine. Done this way, it will be without stress, without burnout and full of a sense of passion and purpose as we soar with Him, readjusting our wings regularly to ride the storms and the challenges, and using all that comes our way to push us higher into our God-sized dreams and callings.
Anyone up for a spot of soaring??
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