It’s never good to get complacent in our lives, especially when it comes to our prayer life. You’ve read so many of my stories with words that were spoken to me but connected into a much deeper meaning when it comes to you and me following Christ. But I feel called to share, on occasion, some stories from people that inspire me on my journey. This week I’d like to share one from a very good friend of mine that is following our Lord in a profound way, by studying, completing and now officially a Deacon with Ascension Lutheran Church. He is also am amazing photographer, which you will be able to view some of his photos and the reason for his story:
Above the Storm
There is something about being out in nature with a camera in my hands that is hard to put into words. Especially when I’m photographing bald eagles. I can sit for hours watching them soar above the trees and over the water. They are majestic, powerful, and somehow completely free. When I watch an eagle riding the wind, I often think, if I could be any animal, I think I’d want to be a bald eagle. Carefree. Unafraid.
Eagles don’t seem to run from the storm. They rise above it. There is something about that that speaks to me. When I’m out there, surrounded by God’s creation, I feel a peace that is difficult to find anywhere else. The trees, the water, the wind, the birds – it all seems to remind me that God is still here, and that His creation is far more beautiful than anything we could ever create ourselves. And, honestly, I don’t even need to see an eagle.
Some days I can spend hours hiking, waiting, watching, and searching, and never see my favorite bird. And somehow, I am still perfectly content. I never ask God for a good photo day. I figure there are plenty of more important things to bring to Him. Then there was one day when I spent the entire day hiking through the woods with absolutely no luck. Not one eagle. As evening came, I finally made my way back to my car, a little disappointed, but still grateful for the day.
Then a stranger nearby looked at me and said, “Do you see that eagle?” I looked up. There, sitting quietly on a branch, maybe fifty feet from my car, was my favorite bird. I had spent the entire day searching for an eagle; and all along, the eagle had been right there. I smiled. Maybe there was a lesson in that. Sometimes we spend so much time searching for what we think we need that we miss what God has already placed right in front of us. That’s what being in nature does for me. It slows me down. It quiets my mind. It reminds me that I don’t have to control everything.
I can simply sit. Watch. Listen. Breathe. And be grateful.
And when an eagle finally spreads its wings and catches the wind, I can’t help but look up and think about the God who created it. For a while, the world gets quiet. And I feel completely at peace. Maybe that’s why I keep going back. I’m not really looking for eagles. I think I’m looking for those little moments when heaven seems a little closer. And sometimes, if I’m lucky, an eagle is sitting in a tree waiting to remind me that God was there all along. (Story and photographs created by Doug Meekins)
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be wearing, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
From God's Lips 