EMBRACING THE STORMS OF LIFE

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 NLT

My heart has been saddened by the violence we have witnessed in the world over the past few months - especially to law enforcement officers across our country. (29 police officers have been killed this year).

The doom sayers of this world are encouraging people to run and hide from evil but that is never the answer.  We can't run from the storms of life but we must embrace them.

Have you ever seen an eagle flying?  To be able to witness the flight of an eagle is an amazing thing.  I love eagles, I love to watch them soar and float in the air almost like they are weightless.  

They seem to be able to catch the current of the airflow and just glide around effortlessly.  They are a majestic creature with strength that is amazing.  

They can spot a fish in a stream miles below them and snatch it up in a quick minute.  Their beaks are powerful and their talons are piercing, but their flying is what amazes me the most.  

When we compare chickens to eagles it seems funny that they are both actually come from the bird family.  

Chickens scratch around in the dirt and never get the chance to fly.  They peck the ground for every morsel of food they can find.  

When a storm approaches them or they feel threatened, they run and hide.  They kick up dust in their panic and take cover in the chicken house with all the other chickens.

Remember the story of chicken little?  "The sky is falling, the sky is falling."  

An eagle on the other hand embrace the storms, he rises above the storm clouds.  While the chickens are running for cover, the eagle is soaring high above the storm in the sunshine.  

The eagle loves a challenge, he doesn't back down or run away when they feel threatened. The eagle is determined to rise above all the storms life throws at him.  

The eagle has no worries, no stress, only determination and fierce sense of pride in who he is.  So let me ask you, if you could chose who would you rather be a Christian who is like a chicken or an eagle?  Think carefully because the answer is not as easy as it seems.

You see as a chicken Christian we get to run and hide every time the going gets tough.  When God asks us to do something out of our comfort zone, we have an excuse.  "Oh God I can't do that.  That's out of my comfort zone."  

I have been there and said this before, many times, trust me this is the easy way out.  We get to run and hide in our safe little home protected and warm, safe from the storm.  

We just scurry around, satisfied with what we have, never being challenged.

Like the chickens in the chicken yard, we peck the ground and feel safe and secure knowing there is a fence keeping all the foxes out of our yard.  

We live life frightened of every little thing, afraid that someone may ruffle our feathers.  

The storm comes along and we don't know what to do so we panic and run around kicking up a bunch of dust, saying "I can't handle this, I can't handle this".

As an eagle Christian we will have the ability to embrace the storms in life.  When the going gets tough, the tough get going.  

We will learn to sore above the storms in life.  We will learn from them and we will be able to grow in our strength and power.  

When we are challenged to step out of our comfort zone, we will step up and step out.  

We will not be comfortable with a fence protecting us, because we realize that even though the fence may keep the predator out, it is also keeping out all those who may need help.  

We will embrace a challenge and learn to soar.  How do we do all this? How do we learn to rise above the storms in life?  How do we learn to have the strength and power to step out of our comfort zone?  

There is only one way to become an eagle Christian, read and study the Bible and pray for wisdom.  The Bible is full of God's promises.  

His word contains true stories of people who were just like you and me, who stepped up and stepped out.  

People who decided they wanted to be like an eagle, not scratch around in the chicken coop with all the other chickens.  

They risked their lives for the mission God gave them.  They had faith that God would get them through the storm if they just believed and trusted.

God has a mission for each of us to accomplish and if we sit in our little comfort zones and run and hide, then that mission will never be accomplished.  

We can't run and hide because we are fearful.  We must turn and embrace the storms before us because “He that is in me is greater than he who is in the world.”