Not so Soon

It could be a serious slip of the mind, or just plain ignorance. Or perhaps it's the early onset of dementia. In any case, all are poor justification for failure to understand one phrase - "Soaring like an eagle".

I mean, how hard can that be?

Very, apparently.

Fifteen years ago, a visiting missionary prayed for me (and several other people, my godbrother and good friend BT included). I forgot much of the prayer, but one phrase burned in my mind for years - soaring like an eagle.

Since I had absolutely no idea what the prayer meant back then, I looked up all the references in the Bible about eagles and other birds. In fact, I looked up eagle habits in every available encyclopaedia, thus making myself some kind of self-proclaimed guru on those solitary birds. And of course, related episodes of National Geographic were not spared either, I scoured every single one I could lay my eyes on.

I was still none the richer in my quest. Something was still missing... I had all the head knowledge, but the real meaning of that phrase still eluded me.

Years passed. One miracle after another happened in my life. Impossible situations were reversed, against natural odds. God's hand was evident in every area. And I was still wondering what that phrase meant.

Tired, I gave up thinking and allowed it to die a natural death.

One day in recent time, BT brought up the matter again over tea.

"Do you remember the missionary who prayed for you, MY? I started thinking about her and what she said about you soaring like an eagle all those years ago..."

I was taken aback. Here was my buddy BT, who's reknowned for her absent-mindedness and weak attention to details, telling me in great detail a prayer uttered 15 years ago... hmmm... something is definitely going on here...

I started thinking on my bed that night.

And suddenly, in the stillness of the night, just like that, an answer came. Fifteen years and numerous adventures after the initial thought was sown.

Soaring effortlessly at great heights is but a mirror image of the extent I am willing to descend. The issue was never really how high I can soar but how low I am available to stoop down to.

I chuckled myself to sleep. It wasn't dementia after all. :)