By Barry Buzza

A few weeks ago, I had the honour of officiating at the memorial service of a dear friend who passed away far too early in life. Dinah's favourite verse from the Bible was from the book of Isaiah. "Those who wait on the Lord will gather new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary."

At the service, on the table beside her beautiful picture, sat a large open winged eagle that she and her husband had purchased on a recent trip to Asia.

I've known Dinah for 6 years, and throughout that time she has been bravely battling breast cancer. Through many sophisticated medical treatments and the grace of God, she kept pressing on--always with dignity, humour and a big happy smile on her face.

I love eagles too. There are many life lessons we can learn from observing these magnificent and powerful birds. The Bible writers refer to them often to describe a strong, victorious, godly life.

When Isaiah wrote about those of us who wait on the Lord, and renew their strength, he wasn't talking about someone passively sitting around waiting for God to show up and do something. Rather he used the word wait like we would describe a waiter in a restaurant. In other words, he could have written, "when we find our place of service to God, then we will grow stronger".

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A common view of God is that we will call Him when we need Him, "I'm in trouble God, help me!" or, "My world's falling apart Lord, where are you?" That's a perspective that sees God as our servant. When I snap my fingers, I expect Him to answer me--now please. It's the opposite to seeing God as the centre of our world and me serving Him with whatever gifts, talents and skills He's given me.

How do we "mount up with eagle's wings?"

Eagles have a God-given instinct and know how to find thermal currents. These warm air drafts will lift the eagle, with his wings spread, to heights of up to 14,000 feet.

Like rising up two and a half miles high in an elevator, the eagle rides the thermal currents to the height of small aircraft. Then with his 7 or 8 foot wing span, he can soar for miles and miles to where he wants to go. His 7,000 feathers can tilt as needed and his tail feathers act as a rudder. He effortlessly glides through the azure skies to his destination.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, "That's what it's like for anyone who orientates himself or herself around our Creator's plans rather than their own." I've walked beside Dinah and Daniel for the past 6 years as strong winds of opposition, which might have blown another person away, have caused them both to become much stronger. Over the last months, as the dreadful disease attacked my friend physically, she became stronger and wiser on the inside. Her inner strength has been renewed.

At the close of her memorial I quoted another verse from the Bible. It reads, "I carried you on eagle's wings; and brought you to myself." Today Dinah is a new person, strong and healthy and standing in the very presence of the God whom she gave her life to serve.

June 4/2009