When ready to lay eggs, the female and male eagle identify a place very high on a cliff where no predators can reach. The male flies to earth and picks thorns and lays them on the crevice of the cliff, then flies to earth again to collect twigs which he lays in the intended nest. He flies back to earth and picks thorns laying them on top of the twigs. He flies back to earth and picks soft grass to cover the thorns. When this first layering is complete the male eagle goes back to earth and picks more thorns and lays them on the nest. He goes back to get grass to put on top of the thorns, then plucks his feathers to complete the nest. The thorns on the outside of the nest protect it from possible intruders.
Both male and female eagles participate in raising the eagle family. She lays the eggs and protects them; he builds the nest and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly, the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump into the nest again.
Next, she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest, leaving the thorns bare. When the scared eaglets again jump into the nest, they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them.
Next, the mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, the father eagle flies out and catches them up on his back before they fall and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly.
The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes, the preparation for the family teaches us that active participation of both partners leads to success.
Being pricked by the thorns tells us that sometimes being too comfortable where we are may result in our not experiencing life, not progressing and not learning at all. The thorns of life come to teach us that we need to grow, get out of the nest, and fly. We may not know it but the seemingly comfortable and safe haven may have thorns. Isaiah wanted his people not to languish in bondage, but to grow and prosper. God still has a purpose for every thing we go through so He can push us farther in life than we can imagine.
When an Eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as they should. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out. We occasionally need to shed off old habits and items that burden us without adding to our lives. If we want eagles wings we will change our thinking and our ways for the glory of God.
Child of God, its time to fly!
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