“Oh Lord,” I prayed this morning when I woke, “Give me a path of ease!”

I had slept badly last night, thinking of a meeting I had with troublemakers who were bent on creating a disturbance at an AGM, and I longed for ease and calm, till I remembered the eagle and it’s nest:

The eagle finds the tallest tree or highest mountain ledge to build its nest. It lays the first layer of the nest with sharp objects such as thorns and stones. Next it covers the layer of sharp objects with soft material, such as wood, feathers and animal fur.

When the baby birds hatch, the soft layer of the nest surrounds them.

After they grow a bit the mother eagle takes the nest material and mixes it up. The jumbled mass becomes a mixture of sharp objects and soft ones. Some of the sharp edges even cut the baby birds' skin. Soon, the mother stops putting food from her mouth into the babies mouths. Suddenly, their comfortable world has become painful.. The discomfort becomes so great that babies learn to fly and fly away to get out of the nest.

The beautiful analogy from nature explains the value of suffering in our lives. If people were too happy and comfortable in their physical existence they would never seek God.

Most of us turn to God only in times of trouble.

When they are faced with intolerable pain, an incurable illness, a devastating loss or a financial disaster, they find that life is not as great as they thought. Suddenly life becomes difficult. It is during those times of pain and crisis we begin to realize we need a power greater than ourselves.

Suffering has the value of turning our attention to the Lord.  Without it most people would not give God a second thought. They would live and die without even thinking about God.

Suffering makes us pray to God to help us.

When we are rich and living in the lap of luxury we do not think about God. But when we suddenly face stress we begin to seek God. Misfortunes make us turn to a higher power for help.

Sometimes when we become too complacent, God may shake things up a bit to make us do our spiritual work.

God wants all of us baby eagles to soar: To soar from this physical region to the spiritual region. It is a wakeup call to teach us that we should not be too comfortable in the physical world.

Knowing this, my troubled heart becomes calm as I feel God’s hand in mine, taking me on His wings above my troubles. Now I know I can face today with its troublemakers and all..!

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