Thursday, June 7, 2007

Unimpressive Eagles

Not too long ago I visited a Raptor Rehabilitation Center. This had nothing to do with dinosaurs breaking drug habits. This was no techno savvy DNA engineering center. This was a hospital for wounded birds of prey. Ospreys, eagles, burrowing owls, kites, horned owls, barn owls were just a few of those in convalescence there. With my digital camera I snapped crystal clear pictures of a bald eagle perched just feet way; another of an osprey on a similar roost.

Despite how striking these pictures were, they left me somewhat unimpressed. There is something wrong with a picture of a raptor that cannot soar, a hunter that cannot pursue prey. On the surface the birds looked extraordinary, yet their wounds had forced them to settle for an unremarkable existence. No bird meant to soar is quite as impressive doing anything else.

Leaders know this truth. If someone is meant to soar, doing anything else is just not as impressive. If you are meant to lead, following is not impressive.

Followers of the Forgiver need to learn the same thing.
· If you are meant to be filled with power, struggling with life is not impressive.
· If you are meant to be victorious over sin, wallowing in it is not notable.
· If you are meant to discover your role, to pursue your destiny, to run the race well, to keep the faith, to finish strong, then just sitting back and doing little is easily forgotten.

We need to check our hearts and be sure we have not settled for merely a perch when we were meant to soar.

Go ahead, fly.

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