Who doesn’t love it when, on rare occasion, you get to see an eagle, or two, soaring above, going higher and higher, so effortlessly? It’s so breathtaking! There is a lot we can learn from Heavenly Father’s creations. I had occasion, a while ago, to search out material on eagles’ nature and their patterns. It was quite enlightening! Eagles are born with big, heavy wings. If they expend too much energy flapping their wings during flight, they could literally die. Therefore, their survival depends on learning to soar in order to conserve their energy. Because of this, when an eagle sees a storm is coming, he will fly to a high spot, and wait for the winds to arrive. When the storm hits, the eagle will move its wings, so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. Thus, while the storm rages below, the eagle soars above. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. I feel God is giving me a very powerful analogy here. Possibly a higher law, that if I choose to understand and apply, I can embrace and face, with less difficulty, the challenges and storms that I face. When the storms of life come upon us, like the eagle, we can rise above them. We can let the winds that bring turmoil into our lives lift us higher....above the storm. There, we can get through the challenges we face, even though the challenge is still there, we can overcome the storm by using it to rise above the turmoil. Having gone through five rounds of chemo, I’m feeling the effects of it, physically and emotionally, dragging me lower and lower. I have been feeling as if I have no energy left to flap my wings, to go on. Only now, understanding the eagles’ traits to deal with adversity, I’m reminded that I have the Spirit to lift me higher, above the storm, where I can rise above the pain and weakness that threatens to destroy. Our pains and challenges might be physical, they might be emotional, even a mental illness, they might have to do with health, business or relationships, but the solution to overcoming our pain, whatever it may be, is contained in our spiritual growth and faith in our Savior. He can lift us above the storm to comfort us, ease the pain and even, when it’s time ... heal us! I feel that each step of my journey has taught me to soar, to lift higher. Each step has brought me closer to my Savior! Even though each round is getting harder and harder, I am learning to sacrifice my will for another way, as Christ did, and embrace each challenge with a stronger faith in Him to fulfill the purpose of this challenge. Each time I’m humbled by the difficulty of the challenge. Each time I am brought down to my knees, heart softened, ears opened and eyes lifted. I feel Him closer, I hear words I’ve forgotten, or never heard before, and I understand. I’m being directed to overcome by bondage, my fears, my insecurities and I’m being strengthened. I feel peace and power to go on. With my burden lightened. I can lift higher and soar above the storm! This morning I found my self wondering why I am brought down to fear, doubt and worry each time I face my storm. What am I missing? Especially when I have learned and experienced so much on this journey, my Journey to Wholeness! Then this thought came. It was very comforting as well as challenging. “If you don’t have opposition in all things, then you won’t continue to dig deeper to find the answers and won’t learn all I have for you. You will never find out exactly what I am calling you to do for me in this life.” I wonder.... do we understand how important it is to learn how to continually reach out for enlightenment? Or, do we have desires to fully accomplish everything that God needs us to accomplish for Him in this life? Just like the eagle has learned to depend on the strong winds to take them to heights that no other bird can fly to, we too, can be taken to heights that we may have never dreamed possible if we will just learn how to be led by the Spirit of the Lord on a daily basis. Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” So grateful that I have the Spirit to lift me higher, where I shall mount up with wings as eagles, and rise.... above the storms of life. ARTWORK: When the storms of life come upon us, like the eagle, we can rise above them. We can let the winds that bring turmoil into our lives lift us higher....above the storm. There, we can get through the challenges we face, even though the challenge is still there, we can overcome the storm by using it to rise above the turmoil. I love that I can look at this painting titled, “Above the Storm” and be reminded that I can have renewed strength when I choose to rely on the Spirit to help me rise above the turmoil.
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Deep in the Marysvale, Bullion Canyon, in Southern Utah, are the relics of a life and mining experiences that existed long ago. Discarded and placed randomly, hidden, forgotten..... but not forgotten.
As with these discarded forgotten items; are some of our ‘cast off’ experiences of the past. Tossed aside, until we....through choice or happenstance, remember them and the burden that is tied to them. Forgiveness beckons! Healing calls! Am I ready to heal? To overcome? To find peace? Is it time? God has a way of reaching out to us when it is time; through dreams, thoughts and inspirations, through conversations, books, people, movies, etc. We will remember past experiences. He nudges us. He desires to bring us to a clearing, a newness of hope, a place to cleanse all that is broken, rusty and seemingly worthless. Time to resolve, restore and overcome the old and become new, bright and beautiful. Forgiveness....for us, for them. Yes! It’s time! But wait! The past....what lies there? Am I really ready? Time....I need more time! How did the Lord know it was time? That I’m strong enough? That I want to be free of what’s heavy and broken and painful? Emotions surface. I want to run, to hide. Remembering is hard, but here I am. I see it now, the pain and hurt, that came into my heart long ago....then cast off...in the shadows, randomly discarded, hidden, forgotten..... but not forgotten! Who knew that my ‘Journey To Wholeness’ would bring me to this place? Hidden, here and there, in the shadows, several relics beckon to me, to be recognized, embraced and forgiven. To be seen through God’s light and grace, as a gift, given for learning; and growing. Will I forgive and heal? Will I ‘let it go’ and grow? In my life I have learned that forgiveness is a choice to release myself from a painful burden; to trust in God, to allow Him to take over and let the negative, that’s festering inside, go. He will help me cleanse and heal all that is broken and bring me to a place of peace! I can trust in Him, I can become healed, I can become whole! Yes! Peace from the pain, and turned judgment over to my Savior. I am letting it go and becoming new, becoming beautiful. Peace! I have longed for this peace. Now I am free! Free to move forward on my journey. My Journey to Wholeness, my pathway to a new place of peace. Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward. ~ C S Lewis ~ CHALLENGE: Probably one of the hardest things we need to do in this life is to remember our feelings of hurt and pain, that we have seemingly, become hidden or ‘cast off’, and bring them to our remembrance. Enabling us to forgive and be forgiven. Are you willing to take this step with me? Are you desiring to make peace with the pain that you have cast aside? Is it time for you to let it go? Search out those who you need to forgive or those from whom you need forgiveness. Be free! Free to move forward on your own Journey To Wholeness. ARTWORK: This piece of artwork is titled, “Abandoned” When I saw this old, abandoned water boiler I fell in love with it. It was so unique and beautiful in it’s new coat of rust, tarnish and patina. I love the old abandoned and forgotten machinery and relics, that have lost their value and effectiveness through the years and have then been cast aside and forgotten. A new beauty comes forth when, through time, the weather and elements magically transform them into something the eye can love and appreciate. |
AuthorHi I'm Jeannie Puzey, Archives
October 2018
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