We all struggle with the process of managing unexpected changes in life. Recent challenges in my world have me looking back to material that has been meaningful and introspective. What follows is taken from the wonderful work “Never Give Up” by Joyce Meyer:
A farmer once took an egg from an eagle’s nest. He took it home and placed it under one of his hens, and it hatched with a little brood of chickens. The farmer raised the bird with great patience and attempted to tame him. The eagle never really seemed to fit in with the chickens. It always walked alone; it could not seem to relate to or interact with the chickens.
As the eagle grew, he realized something seemed to be wrong deep inside of him. Even though he had never known any other existence but life in the chicken yard, it just did not feel like home to him. He wanted to leave the chicken yard and take to the skies. He even tried to do so, and the farmer finally had to clip the eagle’s wings to keep him from flying away.
Since the eagle could not fly, he just sat in the chicken yard looking up at the sky. One day a storm began to brew, the sky drew dark, and all the barnyard animals scurried around for cover; the chickens were terribly frightened, as chickens are prone to be. The eagle sat watching the scene in front of him, realizing the storm did not frighten him in the least.
At that moment, he could not help but stretch out his wings, and as he did, he noticed that the farmer had failed to keep them clipped. Suddenly, his eye caught sight of a great eagle riding the wind above him, his wings outstretched in majestic form.
The eagle that was raised as a chicken looked again at the chickens scurrying around frantically, then returned his gaze to eagle soaring peacefully above him, then looked back at the chickens and then up at the eagle again. He heard the eagle let out an awesome, piercing cry. In that instant, he knew he had to get out of that chicken yard! A mighty gust of wind swept beneath his outstretched wings and lifted him into the air. With a shrill scream of victory and freedom, he left the barnyard forever.
You Have The Heart of an Eagle
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I wanted to share the story of the eagle in the chicken yard with you to fill you with a fresh sense of encouragement to never give up on yourself. I hope it stirs something deep inside of you – something that makes you want to press through every obstacle you face, to be who you are, and to make the courageous choices needed to break free from everything holding you back from the greatness for which you were created.
Do you ever feel you are like an eagle in a chicken yard? You know there is much more within you than you are experiencing and expressing in your life right now. You know there is a purpose for your life – and you cannot escape or ignore the urge to “go for it.” But do you also know you will have to work hard, take risks, endure loneliness, and leave some things behind. It’s expected that we are able to make some difficult decisions and be measured, misunderstood, judged, and even criticized in order to achieve the goals most important to us.
Know this: All eagles are uncomfortable in a barnyard. They all long for the clear, blue, open skies. When you are living in a place that keeps you from being who you were made to be and doing what you are meant to do, you will be uncomfortable too. When the thought of moving beyond where you are begins to take root in your heart and mind, when a seed of greatness begins to grow, when you have a burning desire to be adventurous and do something new or different, pay attention to it. Begin to act on it. But also realize that people around you may not understand your desire to break out of the box. They may want to clip your wings. They may even say “Now just settle down and be like all the other chickens. Here you have this nice chicken yard and these nice little worms and grubs. Why should you ever want more than that?”
When you hear such comments and questions, something inside of you may ask, “What is wrong with me?” “Why do I think as I think?” “Why do I feel this way?” “Why can’t I just settle down and live a normal life like everybody else?” The reason that you cannot just settle down is that you are not a chicken; you are an eagle! You will never feel at home in that chicken yard because you were made for something bigger, more beautiful, and more fulfilling.
I encourage you today to fan the flame inside of you. Fan it until it burns brightly. Never give up on the greatness for which you were created, never try to hide you uniqueness, and never feel you cannot do what you believe you were made to do. Realize your hunger for adventure is God-given; wanting to try something new is a wonderful desire; and embracing life and aiming high is what you were made for. You are an eagle!
I hope that you’re able to find the courage to let your eagle free.
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