Soar Like the Eagle!
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
About the Eagle
“Another interesting thing about eagles is they fly faster in turbulence than in calm weather. They glide on the wind currents and can even fly through the eye of a hurricane. God made them so that they can soar above the storms—even up to ten thousand feet high.
"We all go through troubles, right?
“Life’s problems and temptations are like turbulent winds. They can sweep us away before we realize it and end up destroying us. Or we can catch the updrafts and ride out the storms of life with God’s help. We don’t have to go it alone. God will be the wind beneath our wings, if we let Him.
"Whenever I have problems … , I turn to God. He never promised we wouldn’t have problems, but He’s always there helping us through them. As I pray, I feel Him lifting me up above the circumstances, like an eagle soaring above the storms. The eagle can look down and see the storm. It’s still there, but he’s no longer buffeted by it. Same with us.
"We can’t outfly the storms in our lives, but they don’t have to overwhelm us. By facing each problem that comes our way with God’s help, we grow stronger. God is a loving God. He wants to help us. Eagles remind me of that."
Flying above the turbulence can turn the storms to sunlight
With my downtime, I don’t watch much TV, I don’t play computer games, but I do read. The quotes above are spoken by a character in a novel* who’s going through his own storms. His description of eagles and turbulence provide thought-provoking ideas about how to handle our own storms. Combining that with Isaiah 40:31 turns our thoughts to God and how He can help us soar. Earlier, in verse 29, Isaiah talks about God giving strength to the weary and increasing the power of the weak. So, one place to start soaring like an eagle above your circumstances is to acknowledge God and His ability to enable the invisibly disabled to weather their storms, even to overcome them.
God has created people as incredibly complex beings capable of rational thought. We need to begin by evaluating where we are, then move on to how we can arrive where we’d like to be.
What storms do you need to weather?
- ANOTHER new, unwelcome, diagnosis?
- Someone unfairly accusing you of malingering?
- Day after day of unending, unrelenting pain/weakness/disability?
How can you catch the updrafts to soar above the storm?
Spiritually
- Turn to God in faith believing that He will always be with you.
- Sing or listen to a special song.
- Focus on verses significant to you.
Emotionally
- Refocus your thoughts to something positive.
- Dwell on good memories.
- Escape through reading, TV, or being with friends.
Practically
- Find a support system.
- Employ ingenuity to adapt essential activities.
- Gather information to be the best possible advocate for your medical care.
Concluding Thoughts
To the invisibly disabled overcoming difficulties: Adapt and apply these ideas to your unique situation and soar like an eagle! Beware, though, these aren’t lessons learned once and for all time. After 40 years, I still find myself needing to review these ideas when problems arise. This week has been bad, with an unpleasant symptom flaring. And, guess what, I had to remember these ideas again as I was writing. I suspect that this is an area that will always be a challenge. Sometimes, it seems easier to just give in and mope or be depressed or worse, be whiny to Joe. May you sore higher and easier than I do. invisibly disabled overcoming difficulties
