The Ancient Secret That Gave Eagles Flight

A long, long time ago, on a far away and distant shore

Lived a group of eagles, who had forgotten how to soar.

These eagles were easy to find, for they never soared in the sky,

But, hung around chickens and turkeys, and other birds that didn’t fly.

As a matter of fact if you didn’t look close you would easily have thought

Since these eagles couldn’t soar, then eagles they were not.

For its true you never see eagles, hopping like chickens on the ground

No, they were meant to soar, yes in the sky is where they’re found

But these eagles had been grounded far too many days and nights

That none of them knew the old and ancient secret that gave eagles flight

These eagles were ruled by a lion, one that was cruel to the core.

Some thought him to be evil, yes one to be abhorred.

Though its true many liked him not, nobody would ever say,

For fear of his wrath it was better just the think, yet never ever to say.

But the lion wasn’t alone, for he had a very dear old pal

A chameleon who was slick, and who was always on the prowl.

Together they worked hard to keep every eagle on the ground

For they knew what could happen if that ancient secret was ever found

Yes, these two knew the truth, that when eagles learn to soar

It means that those eagles can never be controlled anymore.

Since, the lion and chameleon, loved power and control

Making sure those eagles never flew was their biggest goal.

So they tried with all their might and their plan worked great

Till, one day something changed, yep, some call it fate

It was as if the very One who created those eagles to fly

Reminded them who they were, and that they belonged in the sky

Still the lion and chameleon demanded it was not true

But the eagles could no longer be tricked, for now they knew

Then the lion and chameleon came together and agreed

No eagle shall ever fly, or there will be trouble yes indeed.

The eagles couldn’t take it anymore, so the decided they would leave

They would find a place where they’d fly, at least that’s what they believed

The journey it was long and many eagles died along the way

But just for a chance to fly it was worth it all, every one of them would say

Could these eagles ever learn to fly? Its a question only time would tell

Each of them believed they could, but there was still the chance they’d fail

They felt freed from the chameleon, but the lion still held on tight

He sent those whom he trusted to make certain not one eagle took flight

This was not what they expected, not at all what they had planned

The eagles thought by now they would be soaring high above the land

All the eagles grew more impatient with every passing day

For an eagle was born to soar, so they just had to find a way

All the eagles got together and they drew up a mighty plan

They would fight the mean old lion, draw their line in the sand

The lion didn’t like it at all, and he let out an awesome roar

But the truth is a lion is no match for eagles who are learning how to soar.

The lion lost his grip, and with his reign no more intact

The eagles drew one step closer, and were never going back

No more lion, no chameleon, no more of their deceitful lies.

Now with nothing holding them back, surely they could fly

Though they sensed a kind of freedom, they had never sensed before

Still the secret they did not have, the one that made eagles soar.

To discover this ancient secret, there went out an important call

To gather eagles from near and far, the wisest ones of all.

Together they reasoned, thought, and talked ‘bout this thing called flight

Some thought one thing, some disagreed, each thought himself right

No one budging, made things hard, and caused a long delay

Then, like a bolt of lightning, one wise old eagle stood to say

“Is it true that it was our Creator that created us to fly?

Then, why would we exclude Him now, can anyone tell me why?”

Having listened to this wise old eagle, all the eagles said a prayer

Together with their Creator, they worked with the greatest of care.

And when they were done, they were sure the secret had been found

That old and ancient secret, that would get eagles off the ground.

The secret was quite simple, but sometimes it’s just hard to see

With all the powers that want control, and all those lies and deceit

The secret that gives eagles flight is they just need to know they can

Then they need the room to soar, no boundaries from a ruler’s hands

Together with these truths, is one last and important thing

In order to fly and soar real high, eagles need wind beneath their wings.

Those wisest of all eagles gave every eagle this secret to flight

And immediately some of those eagles soared to the highest of heights

Still there were some eagles who never, ever wanted to soar

I know it makes no sense, that they would stay grounded as before

Years went by and some eagles flew high, yes higher and higher still

While others chose the ground and went only as high as the highest hill

There were problems along the way, but no matter what they faced

These eagles just kept soaring, and no others kept up their pace

As a matter of fact, I speak the truth, when others needed a helping hand

It was the eagles who had learned to soar, who helped those distant lands.

It’s true, ask any eagle, and I’m sure each of them would agree

There’s no better place for eagles, than where they can soar and be free

But along the way some things did change, not much but a little tiny bit

Not enough for eagles to worry much, or to make them throw a fit.

Along there came a donkey who had the grandest of ideas

And with him came an elephant whose ideas where different than his.

Now, neither caused big problems for each loved to watch eagles fly

They just wanted to insure nothing brought down eagles from the sky

The eagles trusted the two new comers, and everything it seemed was fine

Until, the donkeys and the elephants began to get a little out of line

Not all of them, but some it seems, wanted to cage the soaring bird

But the cage was very large, so hardly any eagles said a word

The cage grew small as time passed by, and no one knew just why

Was it because of those who didn’t soar, who wanted no other eagle to fly?

Or, was it something else, was it about power and control

Every eagle hoped it was not true, and to this hope they would hold.

But with every passing year, the cage grew smaller still

And the eagles started thinking, and asking, “What’s the deal?”

By this time is was too late for the cage had grown so small

It had grown so small that no eagle could fly, now they could only crawl.

Puzzled, amazed, and stunned, all the eagles hopped around.

“How did we get to this place, where eagles can’t get off the ground?”

But as the eagles took a good look around, they began to see so clear

For an eagle’s eye can see so much that for other’s just doesn’t appear

It was not your normal donkey or even elephant to blame

For among these two were a few who were not at all what they claimed.

Snakes, and lions, and chameleons and a couple scorpions too

I know it’s hard to fathom, but every eagle now knew this was true.

Their plan was masterful, and slowly they took control

Until every eagle was grounded, and well within their hold.

The eagles screamed and wailed but very few would lend an ear

The mighty eagle was doomed, at least that’s what they feared

True it is a tragedy, it is one of grandest size

But never count an eagle out, for eagles know how to rise.

The truth is any eagle can fly, as long as they understand

The old and ancient secret, that makes eagles soar high above the land.

The one about knowing that you can, with no boundaries high or low

And with wind beneath your wings, yes, this is what every eagle needs to know.

And just like that old lion and that chameleon from years and years before

No creature large or even small, is a match for eagles who know how to soar

copyright 2010 Tim Stone

Foundations

How important is a good foundation? I mean, if you were building a brand new home, how important would it be to you to have a good foundation? Several years ago, down the street from our house, they were building a new house. Shortly after they had put up all the framing, the tore the whole thing down. Then they brought in a team to tear up the foundation and haul it off. After that process was completed they started all over and rebuilt the house from the ground up.

The reason for all that extra work and expense was because the foundation was flawed. It became cracked and as a result, had to be fixed. Nobody building a brand new house wants a cracked foundation from day one. If the foundation is flawed, the structure will have all kinds of problems. Doors won't close, tile floors will crack, ceilings will crack, roofs will leak, etc. Let's face it, if we get the foundation wrong, building a structure on it, would be truly unwise.

Equally as unwise would be attempting to move a sound structure away from a good foundation. Think about it. If you attempted to remove your house from its foundation, the whole thing would crumble. It's impossible for a structure to remain sound if it is ripped from its foundation.

Naturally, one would wonder why in the world anyone would attempt such a fete. I feel the same way when I look at what I believe to be the greatest country in the world attempting to distance itself from the very foundation that made it such. I would dare say, that like any other structure ripped away from its foundation, our country will suffer the same fate. The foundation layed by our forefathers, which included God as a center point, created a government characterized by separation of church from state, not state from church. Those who framed our Constitution understood all too well man's feeble attempts at government apart from God would ultimately end in failure.

As I write this, I really don't want to get all that political. This isn't a democratic or republican party issue. We all get up in arms when our side or our man is not in power, but I really think the problem is so much deeper than that. To be honest, I really don't even think this is so much a political thing as much as it is a spiritual thing. What we see playing out in leadership is a direct result of the spiritual climate of our nation and the world around us. Deception, greed, unkept promises, lack of integrity, selfish ambition, bribes, ungodly motives, power grabs, etc. are all spiritual issues and only become political issues when they manifest themselves in the political arena.

The fact is that whenever a man or woman moves independent of God, the result is never a good thing. It makes no difference whether you're a school teacher, plumber, executive, or hold public office. Of course, this is always magnified in those whose decisions and actions affect others, like government officials. When those in leadership are driven by selfish ambition, special interests, political ideologies, manipulation, or anything other than the Spirit of God, they will lead us in the wrong direction. The more distance we put between God and us as a nation, the closer we get to becoming a nation destined for destruction.

As I study history, I find that most of the founders of this great country were God fearing men. Not all, but most. And no, they weren't perfect, but God was at the forefront of their culture and lifestyle. They actually invited Him into the building process rather than excluding Him from it. God is our foundation. He is the only foundation that cannot be destroyed. Building on that foundation results in a strong and healthy structure. Whether we are talking about individuals or governmental structure. Anything not built on that foundation or pulled away from it, will not stand. Proverbs 14:34 says that "Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people." Our form of government works great when those at the helm have a heart that is open to God and are determined to allow him to order their steps. But, what makes it work best is when we as the church have hearts that are open to God and are more apt to pray for our country rather than criticize those in leadership.

A World At War

As I stood glued to the television yesterday afternoon, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Here, on our soil, our enemy struck. Sure, he was dressed in a uniform that made him appear to be one of our soldiers, but the truth was, he was the enemy. An enemy with an agenda. An enemy who set out to take down as many of our soldiers as he possibly could. I'm sure as the whole story unfolds, we'll begin to find out what it was that made this man go off. What it was that made his brain snap so that he would carry out such a horrible attack. Was he in opposition to our foreign policy? Was he part of a much bigger group with an much larger agenda? Was his recent conversion to Islam a contributing factor? Or, was he just chemically imbalanced?

Perhaps, it was all of these or then again, maybe it wasn't any of these. Whatever the motivation, the fact still remains that he set out yesterday with a plan that tragically took the lives of several American soldiers and wounded many others. I think that for most of us, we expect to hear about this kind of stuff happening on foreign soil. But here in America, at one of our Army posts, now, that's a really hard pill to swallow. I mean lets face it, as long as there are enemies miles and miles away from our country's boundaries we aren't all that rattled. But when we find one here, we are often left scratching our heads.

Here is something we all have to remember though. We have enemies. The United States has always had enemies. Since the time we declared our independence, we've had to fight to keep it. All the freedoms we enjoy, have come at a heavy price. Countless men and women have spilled their blood to give each of us these freedoms. As long as we live here, that fight will never end. I know there are those who oppose war and other armed encounters but their very freedom to disagree with it, was purchased by that very thing. I'm not saying I like war, I think only a fool would say that. But I'm not so naive as to think that freedom doesn't come with a price. There is never a time when I meet a man or woman who is either serving in the military or has served that I don't go out of my way to express my appreciation for their service. I understand that it is because of them, I can walk outside and breathe a breath of freedom every morning. That's a freedom I pray I never lose sight of.

Since the fall of man, this world we live in has been a world at war. It is a world full of evil people with evil plans. They are often motivated by hate, and a desire for power and wealth. It would be great if that wasn't the case, but it's the truth. If there is not a force or forces committed to thwarting evil, then evil will rule. Peace would be great, but true peace will never come until Jesus returns. Even that peace will come as a result of him thwarting the plans of the evil one by a war unlike one this world has yet to see. Peace isn't the result of avoiding conflict, it is only produced by refusing to back down from necessary conflict.

Kimberly Munley, the officer who took down the shooter at Fort Hood, who I'm sure will say she was just doing her job, is a hero. She chose to confront evil and as a result, who knows how many lives were saved. It's people like her and all those who wear the uniform to whom we owe a debt we could never repay. Let's remember all those who were wounded and their families as well as the families of those who lost their lives yesterday. Earnestly pray for them. And take note that Veterans day is coming up next week on Nov. 11th. Determine to find a veteran and tell them thanks. They are extremely easy to find. They usually pridefully wear a cap or have a bumper sticker that promotes a branch of service or declares their love for this country. Trust me, I search them out all the time.