"Fly Like an Eagle"

"I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free"

"Words". Spoken. Written. Sung. Combined into sentences to convey a thought, feeling or an emotion. Words tell a story. Words can bring us to a deeper understanding of ourselves. They can be the beginning of change. The art of story telling is at the center of an oral tradition. Story telling has been used throughout history to remember the past, bring to life myths and traditions. Even preachers have used story telling to convey thoughts and teachings. Parables. On the surface, parables are a story of life. Deep inside these stories they deliver a meaning that can be different to many, many people. The storyteller can enhance the actual story by making an art form out of the delivery. Words formed into stories can evoke feelings that there is someone telling us to listen deeper. A "Perceived Presence". Someone speaking directly to us from deep within the words.

There was a farmer that lived on land that stretched from where you stood the ends of the earth. On this farm the farmer had crops and livestock. Out early one morning while tilling the ground the farmer noticed a baby bird laying in the shade of a great big oak tree. Seeing this helpless bird caused the farmer to pause from the task at hand. What happened? Where did it come from? Looking up the farmer did not see a nest or a mother bird around. So the farmer gathered the baby bird gently in his arms and took it home. Over the next few months the farmer nurtured this baby bird as it grew. As this bird continued to grow the farmer realized he could not keep this bird in a cage inside his house so the farmer put the bird in with the chickens in the chicken coop. This bid continued to grow and seemed very happy with is surroundings. One day a traveling salesman came by and noticed this bird in with the chickens. The salesman questioned the farmer and the farmer recounted the story of how he had found this baby chick in the field underneath the Oak tree. The salesman asked the farmer if he realized what kind of bird this was that he had living in the chicken coop. "This is not right for this eagle to be living in with the chickens". Feeling remorse after the salesman had left the farmer opened the chicken coop and brought the bird out of the fenced in area and set it on the ground. The farmer said to the bird, " fly, you are free". The eagle looked around and looked at the farmer who had taken care of it and just walked back into the chicken coop. Several days later the farmer tried again, this time bringing the eagle to a fence and setting it up on the highest post. This time the eagle did initially spread its wings as if realizing it's purpose in life. But the eagle then again looked around at it's familiar surroundings, it looked at the farmer and jumped down on the ground and walked back into the chicken coop. Several days later, the farmer tried once more. But this time he took the eagle to the top of the barn, high above the ground. The farmer thinking that once this bird sees this perspective of life it will surely want to fly. The eagle again looked around. Spreading it's massive and majestic wings. From this vantage point the eagle could see more than it had ever seen before. The bird even looked like it was ready to fly. He continued to look around. Looking at the familiar chicken coop below. The farmer even said to this bird, "spread your wings, reach for your destiny". But much to the farmers dismay, when the eagle did finally fly, he flew straight back to the coop far below. To the "comfort" of the familiar surroundings.

This was a story that I had heard many years ago in the middle of the night on the radio on my way to work. It had deeply touched me then. Put into the memory banks of my mind. Always there. Just the other day, as I was riding my bicycle the story of the eagle came back to me. Now my time out in the fresh air has come to be a time I not only use for exercise but a time to clear my mind. I rode along enjoying the crisp afternoon temperature and fall colors not necessarily thinking about anything in particular. The story of the eagle brought back from the recesses of my mind for some reason. Have you ever thought about why this happens? A thought about something or someone that you have not remembered in a long long time. What starts the process of remembering? Could it be possible that our minds are just searching for answers? Our uncluttered mind scanning our memories, reading the stories of our past. Drawing on all the experiences and emotions stored in our mind. As if trying to open us up and enlighten us in some way. It is as if someone or something reaches in and pushes that memory to the front for some specific purpose. Dreams. Ever awake from a dream and say "where did that come from"? A jumbled story of events. Twisted perceptions of real life events. It's as if someone or something has put together memories and experiences in our lives into a story. A story teller using our subconscious to create a picture. A "Perceived Presence".

On my journey of spiritual awakening, there have been many, many times in which I have wanted to "spread" my wings. Only to return to familiar surroundings. The fear of not knowing where I am going has kept me from just going. The fear of not understanding. "You want me to do what"? "You're showing this to me for,,,,,?. That voice inside saying, "did you really hear that". That same voice saying, "this is all you deserve". Those times in the middle of the night where it felt like someone was directing me. Do we sometimes negate the leading of these thoughts and feelings because we are afraid? Being in a comfortable place, enjoying our surroundings. Our own lowered self esteem putting up a battle for us to spread our wings.

You see in this story of the eagle, majestic as it was, it had come to think that the chicken coop was where comfort and safety were. Listen to your heart. Listen to the whisper of that inner voice that speaks to you at odd times.

Let your wings spread.


"I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free"

"Where will you run,,,
When there is no where left to hide,
What will you do when there is nowhere left to climb,
What will you say when all the words have gotten in the way,,,,,,,,"

"Loosing your mind, wouldn't it be better to keep it all inside". On a life journey where it involves the "spiritual" realm it can be a lonely road to travel. If you hear or see anything that no one else sees, how do you describe it? Is it to be shared? Why do you see this? Why did you feel this? God help me to understand.........

Many years ago when Danese the kids and I were living in Edgewater, Fl. I was out on a morning bicycle ride. Early morning with not too many people on the road. Fully expecting the car that was traveling in the opposite direction of me, as we approached the intersection, to continue going straight. I continued to make my way through the intersection. Just before impact I looked at the windows to see the driver, the front and side windows were fogged up. No turn signal I thought. Was there? Please God save me! I'm not quite sure of the exact events of the next few seconds but I do remember what I felt. A pair of hands. What? These hands cradle me as I took to flight. Softly setting me down in the middle of the intersection as the driver continued to drive away. My first physical emotion was to yell, "HEY!". It was the first time the driver, an elderly man probably in his late 70's, realized there was someone on the road with him that morning. He stopped, pulled over and came over to me as I sat on the road surface. As I think back I do not remember my exact state of mind but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I was fine. I also have to admit my first thought was not to "praise Jesus". I did not have this overwhelming need to sit on the road and elaborate my relationship with my savior. Was I aware that God had saved my life? YES! I knew it! A collision between a car and a bicyclist usually does not end with such an outcome. Bike front wheel shattered into many, many pieces. Body not even a scratch! WHY? Come now, "a pair of hands"?

CANCER! A dreaded word. A word that conjures up some very strong emotional reactions. Fear,,,, doubt,,,, aloneness,,,, peace,,,. Peace? Are you insane? How in the world does the word cancer bring out an emotion such a peace. A spot. A dark spot. "You need to have that looked at"! I made an appointment for you at the dermatologist. Hmmmm! A doctor making an appointment for a patient to see another doctor. Concern! Skin sample. All along never personally seeing the spot. Friday evening, going out for something to eat. Phone rings, " who saw the spot on your back"? The dermatologist says "you better take her to dinner because Danese just saved your life"! Appointment at the Pigmented Lession Group at the hospital of the University of Penn. Immediate appointment with the surgical oncologist. Six inch chunk taken out of lower left back. "Clark level 4". PEACE! Again, why God?

Do the events such as this happen for a purpose? Are they to confirm a "Perceived Presence" in our lives? Do they give hope? To whom? What if the outcome were different? Would the hope be the same?

These two events that happened in my life were there to serve a purpose. They both brought me to realize Gods presence in my life. But what about times when the vision is not so clear, clouded? Our minds are a powerful force within us. Many well learned people propose that we have only tapped a very small portion of the minds true abilities. But if that is true, was it ever fully turned on? When was it turned off? Are some of the "Perceived Presences" that we sense and feel a small part of what could be? An increased understanding of a spiritual realm in which the surface has really only been scratched. Is it fair to discount anyone's accounts of an event, a vision or a feeling as being just pure emotional mumbo jumbo? Some being attributed to God, some to the devil. When I was hit by the car on my bicycle there was a period of time in which I would only tell a few individuals. " A pair of hands, are you sure or are you just crazy?". Do more of us see or feel things and just write them off for fear if we were to tell anyone they would wonder about us?

Physical events. Spiritual events. Feelings. Dreams. Visions.

"Loosing your mind, wouldn't it be better to keep it all inside".


The songs lyrics for this post come from my nephews, Jason Riggs and Zach Sagrantz band , "Honor". Their album, "Threshold" speaks volumes to me every time I listen to it. Zach has a way with words that has touched me very deeply and the Jason's guitar work is as good as I've heard. Please find their album, it's available on iTunes, and give a listen.