How many times have we heard from our little children, when we were teaching them something new to do, that before we could even finish showing them how they would say, I can! I can! I want to do it! I want to do it! The eagerness they desired to accomplish it on their own was such a joy to witness.
As a grandmother now of a seven-year-old grandson, my heart is filled with such anticipation of what is ahead of this growing little boy. He is so full of life. He loves baseball, basketball, swimming, golf, wrestling with his papaw, karate, playing cards (especially rook), and of course, video games. He is so competitive and never wants to lose at anything. We tell him that sometimes we win, but sometimes we lose, and celebrating with others in their accomplishment is so important. I always pray that the Lord will lead him in the path He has placed within him and that he will always seek God’s will for his life as he grows and matures. I pray he will find the gifts God has instilled in him and use them and enjoy them all of his days.
As I reflected on our little ones growing and learning, I began to think of the possibilities for us all in what we are able to achieve if we have a desire.
I believe it’s yet to be seen what one person could do and accomplish if they used the full capacity of the body, mind, and spirit that God has given them to pursue life and to excel with the power that is within each of us.
Haven’t you heard it said so many times: “I’m not good at anything! I don’t have any talents; I’m afraid I will fail, so I don’t try.”
So often, we wander in life aimlessly, doing the same mundane things, waisting opportunities to fly. We have become satisfied with our heads bowed so low that we can’t see what’s up ahead, therefore limiting our distance by the position we have accepted.
I want to share a story that may help you visualize a better example. My husband, Larry, used this illustration many times in his sermons.
Once there was a Mama eagle’s egg that accidentally fell into a hen’s nest and hatched. The baby eagle grew and lived among the chickens in the barnyard. The baby eagle ate what the chickens ate, slept where the chickens slept, and wandered where the chicken wandered—never venturing out on its own, never testing the waters to see if there was more.
The older the baby eagle got, the more he realized there had to be more than he was experiencing; surely he could do more than he was doing because he knew he was special! “I’m not like the other chicks in the barnyard! I want to try new things,” said the eagle to itself, “but what will they think if I do? Surely it won’t hurt to try. But if I do and fail, all my friends will laugh and throw me out on my own, and I won’t have anyone anymore.” So the eagle just bowed his head and said, “I’ll just accept that this is my destiny even though I know there has to be more.”
Then one day, as the eagle was following his friends around the barnyard, it heard an eagle cry that only another eagle would recognize! The baby eagle looked up to see this large eagle flying above the trees, flapping its wings, so the baby eagle started flapping its wings, when suddenly he rose up, gravity no longer held him. As he began to rise, he felt the cool breeze sweep across his face. His wings were caught up in the wind; he soared into the heavens, never to return to the barnyard.
The Bible states, “we are gloriously and wonderfully made” and that our Father in heaven has great plans for us; He gave us everything we need to do great and wondrous things. What I think happens so often is that we eliminate ourselves in many races of performance because we settled for the ordinary when God made us to be extraordinary as His children.
He has given us a powerful mind and body that is capable of going beyond anything we could hope or imagine if we would just tap into the faith he has in us! The older I get, the more I realize I have missed so many accomplishments by not pursuing all that God had in store for me. I realize that it is never too late to desire wisdom and knowledge or knock for doors to be opened. When you are younger, you have that fearless, energetic spirit, and when you are older, you have the experience that can be shared to help others not to give up on the dreams placed within them.
God has given us life and has placed eternity in our hearts! “He has formed you and knew you in your mother’s womb.” He placed gifts in each of us to use for his glory. If you can sing, lift your beautiful voice; if you can teach, share the wonderful words of knowledge. If you can cook, then bless someone with a wonderful dish; if you garden, share a bouquet of flowers. Our joy will come when we share the gift in us with others, and then we will be able to soar like eagles.
“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings.” Deuteronomy 32:11
My prayer today for you is that the Lord would stir up your heart with the gifts and talents He has placed within you. I pray you trust Him to bear you up so you can be and do what He knew you could do and be in Him.
“There is nothing better for a man, than he should eat and drink and make his own soul enjoy good in his labor, this also I saw, that is from the hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:24
“The Joy of the Lord is our strength!” His joy was dying for us so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. “I believe there is more; I believe I can fly,” said the baby eagle. Don’t you?
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
Think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I’m leaning on the everlasting arms
If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me
I believe I can fly
Diane Mann
Lean Into Jesus Ministries
#dianemannblogs
(I do not own any copyrights to this song.)
