Winter in Iowa this year means cold and snowy days,
bookended with bright sunshine and bitterly cold wind. Winter does have its benefits
when living near the Mississippi River, watching eagles travel the waterway in
search of open fishing spots. Almost two weeks ago, the wind had kicked up;
making my face freeze in moments, finger tingling and nose chilling whenever I
stepped outside. Wind in these cold temperatures where you have to lean into it
to move forward; it makes me want to curl up in a warm blanket, in the sun, next
to the pot bellied stove with a blazing fire inside of it and a cup of hot
coffee inside of me! Heading out for a dentist appointment I had to brave the
wind. As I walked from the office to the car in my many winter layers, I was
grumbling to myself about the wind. It stung me with gravels and tiny pieces of
ice kicking up with the gusts; leaving me digging in my purse for sunglasses to
shield my eyes against the incoming micro assaults.
Walking quickly to get out of the cold, I saw an eagle weaving
in and out of the buildings along the road next to the river. A young eagle
with wings stretched out fully, twisted into tight turns and then dove toward
the earth only to catch the next wind and rocket back up into the sky. Skimming
from the tree lines to the ice covered river, and then ascending in wide slow
circles, other eagles performed a ballet on the wind. They seemed to only hold
themselves ready, moving in faith to catch the invisible wind and trust that it
would be there.
Invisible wind and eagle trust; my own thoughts started to
catch flight and ascend as well as I continued to feel the wind against my face.
It still made my fingers and nose tingle and my face feel frozen and stung. The
same invisible wind stinging me was sending the eagles up in acrobatics against
rocketing plumes of air. I saw them reach higher and higher, and then dip into
dives with agility a pilot would envy, only to move to the next column of air
and rise again. Invisible wind and
soaring flights; a thought was hovering on the edge of my mind and slowly built
throughout the day.
Winds in life have been stinging lately. They have kicked up debris and flung them
about, stinging my face and making everything so very cold. Where is spring; where are the soft warm breezes? Where is the comfort and ease from the gusts
that will knock me over? And then,
leaning into those very gusts, cold and harsh, I find myself celebrating
them! The wind – it’s for me! It is my reminder in the midst of these difficult
cold days of eagles spiraling on pillars of invisible air, my reminder that
they are not merely catching hasty
moments in the air – they are soaring!
Invisible wind and my invisible God; they can both cause
stings as I am lifted higher and higher on invisible mountains to new
heights. Let me lift up and stretch out
my wings and soar.
Why
do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,"My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my 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. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
Why do you say, Israel,"My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my 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. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,and young men stumble and fall; 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.
Isaiah 40: 27-31
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