At the end of last year’s Women’s Conference, each woman was given a word on a small piece of paper. This word was unique to each person, and was specifically prayed over before the conference. Most people I know got words like “love,” “gift” and “hope.”
My word was “eagle.”
At the time, I was newly engaged, about to step into leadership of a ministry and beginning to see God open doors for a career change. There was a lot to “soar” into in my life. So, the first thing that came to mind was Isaiah 40:31; “those who trust in the Lord…will soar on wings like eagles…” but that just felt too easy. I knew it went deeper, but I knew nothing beyond that.
I was intrigued. Throughout the next few months I did a fair amount of research. I read up on the behavior of eagles. Found nothing. I looked up Scripture that mentioned eagles. Found very little that resonated with me in any way.
It’s now a year later. I’m single, I stepped out of leadership in that ministry and God has me in a holding pattern with my career plans. I’m sitting at this year’s Women’s Conference and as Val brought up the concept of last year’s word activity to the ladies, I leaned over to a friend next to me and said, “I still have no idea what my word means.”
As the words left my mouth I could feel God gently say, “Yes you do.”
Somewhere in the midst of my own trials and trials the Lord has allowed my family to go through together, I remember my mom talking about how an eagle “fights.”
Eagles sometimes prey on snakes, but you will never see an eagle fight a snake on the ground (at least not one that values its life). Why? Because the ground is the snake’s territory. It is familiar with it, it has tactics, it is stronger there. The eagle would never win. It’s not built to.
So, instead, the eagle swoops down, grabs the snake, and flies it back up to the sky. Back to its own territory where the snake is out of its element. In the sky, the eagle wins.
God revealed to me in that moment that He spent the last few months teaching me that I need to learn how to fight like an eagle. I spent so long trying to fight the snakes of life on the ground that it’s no wonder I wasn’t soaring anywhere.
Like the eagle, I am no match for the snakes of life; those things the enemy tactfully brings against me. I am out of my element in this world.
But those things are no match for my God.
Also like the eagle, my battles are best fought above, where the things coming against me have to stand before my God and be reminded of their inevitable defeat.
We need to be eagles. We need to stop allowing the enemy to keep us on its level, and make everything that stands against us, stand against our God.
I think you’ll be encouraged by the fact that it won’t stay standing very long.
~ Soar on ~
-Alyssa