Soaring on wings like eagles

— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —

Soaring on wings like eagles

So effortless, peaceful, steady,

High above all the daily ground work, the labor, the sweat of trying to climb step by step.

There is not even a flap of wings that carry the majestic bird higher and higher

Circles written in the sky by an invisible force lifting it up.

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.

Is.40:31

No eagles at Lago Maggiore, but birds using the thermic winds of the mountains around the lake reminding me of one of my most beloved passages in the bible.

It paints the image of renewed strength out of my close relationship with God, much more than running and walking, it realizes that it is not my striving, my muscle strength, but rather His, which gives me the strength to walk and run in a world that demands, where worries, pains, guilt, loneliness and depressive thoughts not only rob us of the hope for tomorrow, but the strength for today.

Yet, soaring is not easily done. It requires trust to spread out your wings fully, so that the air can carry you higher and higher. Where can this trust come from when fear and uncertainty seem to roar in my mind?

…but those who hope in the Lord…

The source seems in patiently waiting in hope for the Lord. Many of us seem to have lost the capacity to wait in a world of instant gratification and the unshakable trust in an everlasting almighty God.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

Is.40:28

Many times I feel disconnected from my creator God, because I do not spend time with Him, time in meditation, in His presence to sense His greatness and grace out of which He will answer my needs way beyond my imagination. Thermic winds are not everywhere, but we are promised that we can experience them in His presence. Soaring will take you up, but at His speed and timing. I just spread out my wings.

Nowadays, it is regarded naïve to wait for God, and driven by the need for solutions we are thrown back into busy agendas trying to build our own foundations of hope and strength, but Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; (Is.40:30)

It is not a problem to gain a few meters height with our own flapping wings but it is so hard, probably even impossible for most of us to maintain the strength to endure hours of soaring. While we are often ready to help, support, and set out for higher goals, the longer the task, it will require endurance beyond our will and capacity, and out of our own strength we end up depleted, disillusioned and exhausted.

Most real challenges in live have no quick solutions, all our essential relationships, with our parents, our siblings, our spouse, our children, even bosses, colleagues and clients require persevering love on a daily base. Where do we renew our strength to rebuild brokenness into something beautiful what it is meant to be, how do we get up in the morning and believe in the promises of a new day, how to we overcome our past wounds and scars and faithfully stretch out our wings?

Sometimes we may feel what a nice image, but not real. I must say that I have been humbled by many people who in my eyes seem to have much less of a wing to soar on than me, but were carried by their trust and hope in God to a peace of mind and gratefulness I have not reached.

Let us encourage each other and remind each other of the might and beauty of God’s thermals, even in the challenging moments of daily life, because it is then when we need Him most.

Amen

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The ACF Midweek Meditations
are written by a diverse group of our church members with the intention to seek God’s fingerprints in our lives. They range from somber to humorous and are inspired by all facets of live and faith. Written by ordinary people from all walks of life, they reflect a wide range of Christian backgrounds and spiritualities.

Each week’s text portrays the individual viewpoint of its author. They might not always resonate with everyone, and are not meant to be understood as representing the Anglican Church Freiburg as a whole. Yet, as a church that is aiming to ‘Build a Community of Grace’ we seek to practice learning from and listening to one another.

We pray that these humble ponderings add a small spark of blessing to your week.

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