The number of trials which have come both to me and my family have been unprecedented in our lives. As opposed to my earlier days, when I did not understand, these trials have made me keep my eyes firmly placed on Jesus for my strength and direction. Though I didn't exactly understand it when I was younger, now I recognize verses like James 1:2-4, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

We read in Exodus 19:4, "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself". We read again of this analogy in Deuteronomy 32:11, "As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings." Many may not realize that when eaglets (baby eagles) learn to fly, the mother stirs up the nest (which is generally at the top of a tree or cliff), knocks the little eaglets out, and they begin to flap their wings as they tumble to the ground or the rocks below. Just as it seems they will meet their certain death, the mother swoops underneath and bears the eaglets up on her wings and brings them back into the nest. This goes on day after day, until the eaglet begins to fly, at first erratically, but it eventually learns how to soar like other eagles. It goes on in Exodus 19:5, "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine." When trials and troubles come, and they will, we can do one of two things as we see in Exodus 20:20-21, after God makes His presence on Mount Sinai, "And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was."

We are really no different than those eaglets. We come to faith as little babies. Over and over again we find things not going as planned. Like the eaglets when the nest is toppled we may find ourselves falling and in panic when trials come our way. We may ask why God doesn't love us, or why He has abandoned us as we see ourselves plunging deeper into despair and in our minds hitting the point of no return. Then when we think we can't possibly get out; God swoops down and delivers us on His wings like that mother eagle. He does this time and time again. At first, we tend to forget and flap aimlessly each time. But as we continue to grow and maintain our eyes on the One who always sees, we learn to fly in faith and trust. When these trials and problems come our way, may we never forget that our Father is simply teaching us to fly. As opposed to the eagle which eventually becomes a solitary animal, if we learn properly, we will learn to fly but in formation. It doesn't matter where we are in this formation, as long as we keep our eyes on the lead bird, who must be God, Himself. So, as Mary did after the birth of Jesus, as we face trials of many kinds and God saves us time and time again, may we not forget them, but ponder them in our heart.