I am more than this; I can do better!

I read a very interesting story a short while ago about an eagle that grew up in a barnyard. There are various versions of the beginning of the story; some say a farmer found the egg somewhere and brought it home to hatch while others say a baby eagle fell out of its nest and was found by a farmer. Thinking it was one of his, he brought it home to his chicken coop with the other chickens to grow. Whatever the version we stick to, all that really matters is the moral behind the story.

As time passed, the baby eagle grew up learning to do what chickens do. It clucked and strutted around the coop pecking at the corn and even tried its voice at the morning wake-up call. A neighbor came to visit the chicken farmer and was surprised to see the eagle strutting around the chicken coop, pecking at the ground and acting like a chicken. The farmer explained to him that he had brought the bird to the coop as a chick and only later discovered that it was an eagle. He further told his friend that since the bird had been raised a chicken, the bird actually believed itself to be a chicken.

The neighbor knew there was more to this noble bird than its behavior showed as a chicken; It had the heart of an eagle and nothing could change that. The neighbor reached down and lifted the eagle onto the fence surrounding the chicken coop and said “you are an eagle, stretch your wings and fly”. The eagle only looked blankly at the man and clucked. It jumped off the fence and continued what the chickens did. The farmer was satisfied “I told you it thinks it’s a chicken”.

The neighbor couldn’t sleep at night and returned the next day to convince the farmer that the eagle was born for something greater. The man took the eagle from the dirt coop and carried him to the top of the farmhouse. Setting the bird down on the roof the neighbor spoke “you are an eagle, you therefore belong to the sky not to the earth, stretch your wings and fly”. The large bird blinked at the man, clucked, and jumped down into the chicken coop again.

After another relentless night, the neighbor returned the next morning to the chicken farm and took the eagle and the farmer away from the chicken coop to the top of a mountain where they could not see the farm or the chicken coop. The man lifted the eagle on his outstretched arm while pointing into the sky where the sun was beckoning above and spoke again. This time the eagle stared skyward into the bright sun, straightened up, stretched its  massive wings and began to fly slowly at first; then surely and powerfully with the mighty stretch of an eagle, it flew away and began to soar in the skies…its journey had just began!

Lessons

First; the eagle was ignorant of is identity, it did not know that there was an innate ability to soar above storms, to see afar, and exude great strength far above other birds. Likewise; many people are walking in defeat, fear, shame, etc. because they fail understand who they really are in order to unlock their hidden potentials.

Second; the eagle was limited by its company. It grew up with chickens and equally believed it was one. Have you taken time to study who you move with, are thy chicken minded people who fail to reach their fullest potential because they haven’t been able to discover who they really are? Are they fearful and timid just like chickens that run to hide whenever there is a storm? The bitter truth is; you cannot grow beyond your company which is why you have to choose your company wisely or change your company as soon as you discover you are in the midst of a wrong one. Make adjustments and begin to surround yourself with the right kind of people because eagles only move with eagles; eagles do not move with chickens.

What have people called you, what have they said that you cannot do? Are all this in line with what God has planned concerning you? Reject any opinion of man that is contrary to what God has said concerning you. Look to God’s word for affirmation and strength, and begin to manifest the glory that He has placed within you.

You need to constantly tell yourself day after day until it becomes a part of you;

"I am more than this,

I am not made for the chicken coop;

I have been destined to soar like an eagle.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God to accomplish great things for him;

I am more than this"

Toddles!

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