Easily spotted

Charlie and I returned late last night from a week in Alaska. The weather was beautiful as was the scenery. There is something about being surrounded by nature that brings rest to my life. The sound of the water (we were on a cruise ship), the majestic mountains and glaciers, fish, animals and birds...all created by God...touch my heart in ways that the sights and sounds created by man do not. And I often see things in God's creation that speak to me about God in ways in which I can relate.

Mendenhall Glacier, near Juneau, Alaska

One day we took a jet boat down the Chilkat River through a Bald Eagle preserve.

It was one of the most memorable things I have done in many years. We saw several dozen eagles, their huge nests, and even saw some "trumpet swans." We were told that the beautiful trumpet swans are the largest migratory bird in North America.

Eagles are truly amazing creatures. Their wing span is 7'-8' wide. They can see for several miles and can focus on small details from that distance. And they are very regal looking birds...except when they walk, and then they resemble a chicken.

We were told that when eagles mate, they are together for life. The life span of a Bald Eagle is about 30 years. They lay 2-3 eggs at a time and 1-2 of those hatch. The mother and father take turns keeping the eggs warm until the babies are hatched.

See the young eagle on the left "fluffing" its wings. An adult eagle is on the right.

The young eagles are actually larger than the adults because their feathers are "fluffier." Their brown and black feathers blend in with the tree trunks and with their very large nests so they are not easily detected.

When an eagle becomes an adult, however, they grow new head and tail feathers which are white.

Because of the white feathers, the adult eagles can be much more easily seen. As we rode down the river, we could spot the white head or white tail of an eagle at a distance.

I wondered if this is a picture of God's intent for His children. As new young Christians, we need to be "hidden" while we are taught and discipled. That "hiddenness" often protects us. We are born as spiritual babies and have to grow. We learn as we watch and are guided by more spiritual believers. We mature as we read the Word of God, pray and spend time with the Lord, and as we walk in obedience to what we learn. We are kept "close to the nest" as we begin to understand how to live the Christian life. The age of a Christian is not representative of whether or not we are an "adult." I know some older people who are baby Christians, and youth who are spiritually mature. But as we mature, we look more and more like Jesus.

As adult Christians, we should be easily identified from far away (Matthew 5:14-16). Our fruit - our character - should be seen; we should stand out. The actions of our lives are to bring glory to our Father.

One of the most beautiful things about eagles is how they soar. They rise to a place far up in the sky and then seem to ride on the wind with their wings spread.

Years ago I was told that "walking in the Spirit" is as easy as breathing. That made me angry because I was working so hard to try to "walk in the Spirit." It was taking lots of "self effort." I was constantly "flapping my wings"...so to speak. I didn't seem to be getting off the ground and was stirring up lots of dust (you have to have imagination for this example!) But I have learned that soaring is the picture of walking in the Spirit. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the LORD of Hosts (Zechariah 4:6). It is His Spirit that, like the wind, allows us to fly and soar. It is not by our own self effort.

At the same time, it takes our cooperating with God. Our seeking Him and partnering with His plan allows us to climb to those heights where we are sustained and kept by His Spirit. The eagle has to spread His wings. If he only sits in the tree and never tries to fly, he will not soar. But eagles are created to soar, and Christians are intended to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).

There have been times when it seemed that I was "spiritually" uncovered. I was not ministering. I felt like I was not moving forward in my relationship with the Lord, and sometimes I even felt like I was going backwards spiritually. All I had done and been as a Christian seemed to be gone. I felt useless, powerless and without strength.

It was during one of these times that a friend told me that there are times when eagles go alone to a high place and loose all of their feathers. They look like a plucked chicken...totally stripped. Then they wait...and their feathers begin to grow back. As the feathers grow back, the eagle becomes stronger and stronger, and when the feathers are all grown in, he can fly higher than ever before.

If you feel like you are in a "hidden" place, it may be because God is doing a work of maturity in your life. He may want you to simply be in His presence or be mentored by another Christian.

Or you may feel like you have been growing, but are in a time of being stripped. Again, God may be doing a deep work in you that will allow you to move forward with strength that you have never had before.

Trust God. Wait on Him. He has a perfect plan and a perfect timing of that plan. He has created you to soar like an eagle...with His Spirit lifting you up. He has created you to be His witness and reveal His glory. He knows what it will take. Be at peace. Keep your heart focused on Him rather than your circumstances, and know that HE is GOD and He will continue the good work in you because He has promised that He will complete it (Philippians 1:6).

On the other hand, if you are an adult Christian, don't hide your light. Don't be afraid to be identified as a Christian. It is not your perfection that God wants others to see. It is His character in you that will speak loudly of Him and His power and strength to those around you, especially when you are walking through challenging situations. It is in those times that you are weak that He is strongest. And remember God's promise...

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).