The time came for two young eaglets to fly.

“Wake up!” the mother cried; but they were already clamouring with wide-open bills for their breakfast.

“Little ones,” she said, “what do you think is to happen today? You are to begin to fly.” They were quite delighted. Had they not watched their father and mother sailing through the skies, and did it not look most delicious? And they did it so easily; there was nothing difficult about it, certainly.

After breakfast, a long time was spent in pluming their feathers, when mother said, “Now, that will do.”

They all came to the edge of the rock on which their nest was built.

“Follow me,” cried the father, and he rose in the air. The mother followed, but the two young ones stayed sitting on the rock.

Mother came back. “Why do you not come?” she asked, “do as we do, and all will be well.” But was it enough to say, “follow me”? Must they find out how to do it themselves, or could she tell them?

“We were not ready,” they said.

“Come, then,” she answered, and flew, but still they did not come.

“Don’t you want to fly?” she asked.

“Yes, very much; we long to fly, but -“

The father scolded, the mother looked perplexed.

“Oh, mother, mother,” they cried; “you don’t mean us to throw ourselves down upon nothing!”

“On nothing?” asked the father 

.”Yes, father, on nothing; there’s nothing for us to fly on; we shall fall, and be killed.”

“What you call nothing is the air, the very thing that makes us able to fly.”

“But we can’t see it,” they said.

“No, and you never will see it, but you can feel it. Flap your wings, and you will feel it.”

So they flapped their wings; and one said, “I know what you mean, but it does not make me feel safe or happy, or ready to begin to fly on nothing.”

And the other said, “I don’t feel anything except my own wings!

What was to be done? They did want to fly; why were they so silly about not seeing, and not feeling? If they would only throw themselves down on what they called “nothing,” that very thing would hold them up, as they fluttered their wings, and carry them out of the shadow of the rocks and mountains into the glorious sunshine.

“Come,” said the mother, and she lifted them on her wings; but the little cowards made her promise not to drop them, and then they sailed with her in the air, and found out how lovely it was.

“Now you will try alone,” she said.

“No! no!” they cried, “not yet; take us again, and if you take us always, then we need not trouble to learn.”

“No, indeed!” said the father, “you idle little cowards, what are you afraid of? Fly, fly this minute! Fly because your father tells you to, and leave your seeings, and feelings, and nonsense alone. Fly, because I tell you to.” They turned to find their mother but she, brave bird, was hovering above, too fond of her little ones to let them lose the end of their creation by disobedience, and in another instant they were struggling and fluttering in the air, and then, as they flapped their wings, they found what they had called “nothing” was what saved and protected them.

It is a beautiful lesson in faith, the young eaglets learning to fly. Our wings are weak at first, but faith strengthens by use. Nor are we left to guide ourselves; our eye fixed on the Sun of Righteousness, He is our guide, and not only our guide, but our goal and our haven; for at the last we shall see Him “face to face,” and enter into the glory of His presence.

“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketb them, beareth then on her wings; so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” Deut.32:11,12.

May we realize this royal independence of all but God, and learn how faith mounts up with wings as eagles by waiting on Him!

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.                     Isaiah 4:29.