Eagles and Hummingbirds

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.” 

Have you ever watched an eagle or hawk, some large bird of prey, soar high riding the thermal updrafts from below? These are massive birds which can cover incredible distances, hundreds of miles. They do this by conserving their energy, rising higher and higher up to 10,000 feet in some cases, reaching speeds up to 60 miles per hour, but may flap their wings only once or twice in the space of six hours. Without invoking Bette Midler, they let the wind beneath their wings carry them along. It works well. Eagles have one of the longest lifespans of any bird in the sky, some living as long as 50 years. 

Compare that to the smallest bird species in the world, the hummingbird. They too can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour. They too can cover great distances, some migrating 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico. But soaring effortlessly across the sky, flapping his wings once or twice a day, is not in the hummingbird’s DNA. They beat their wings 80 times a second and up to 200 times per second during courtship. Their hearts beat more than 1200 times a minute and they must feed every 10 minutes to maintain their metabolism and energy levels. And for all their amazing speed and effort, living at breakneck speeds, this does not lend itself to longevity. The majority of hummingbirds die within a year, their strength exhausted and their little hearts having given out.

Which species will you be? A busy hummingbird, buzzing, constantly on the move, torn apart by anxiety, looking for the next meal, the next fix, the next solution, the next answer; or will you be more like the eagle who rests, letting the wind of God’s strength carry you along?