
                          THE WAITING EAGLE
     
.    The following is the content of a sermon that I listened to a
couple of weeks ago on television.  I can't remember the preacher, but
the message was loud and clear.  His use of the eagle in the example
to follow has many hidden meanings.  How many can you think of?
     
.    A young man was out hiking in Canada along the bank of a fast
flowing river.  Large blocks and chunks of still-solid ice were
breaking away from the shoreline and slowly moving out into the fast
flowing water in the center of the river.  Many insects and a few
small animals occasionally drifted out into the river perched atop the
blocks of ice, to be swept off into the distance and out of sight of
the watcher.
.    As he walked along, getting closer and closer to the rapids and
the waterfall that he could hear in the distance, the young man
noticed an eagle circling in the sky.  It swooped down close to a
piece of ice floating out in the middle, but did not quite touch the
ice.  It was then that the young man noticed something small and fuzzy
scurrying around on the ice that the eagle had just dived at.
.    As he walked along watching, the eagle made a couple more dives
at the little creature on the ice.  Finally, the eagle came to land on
the edge of the block of ice, quickly capturing and killing his prey. 
The eagle must have been very hungry as he did not take off, but
proceeded to start eating the little creature, glancing up from time
to time watching the ice's progress towards the now close rapids and
falls.
.    At the top of a hill, the path the young man was following veered
off away from the river.  Quickly, the man climbed a large rock which
gave him an excellent view of the river, the falls and the eagle still
riding the block of ice.
.    Still the eagle stood on the edge of the ice eating.  It looked
up again and again, evidently judging the time left before the ice
went over the edge of the falls.  Surely, thought the young man, it
must take off now, but the eagle was waiting till the last minute
enjoying the now almost finished meal.
.    Finally, the eagle decided that it was time to leave.  But flap
as much as it would, the eagle could not leave the ice!  It would
appear as though while the eagle had been riding the block of ice
eating and watching for the falls, waiting till the last possible
moment to make his escape, its feet had melted the ice then become
re-frozen, welding him permanently in place.
.    The eagle flapped and flapped, feathers flying, literally beating
its wings to a pulp.  But to no avail.  As it went over the edge, the
scream it made sent shivers up the back of the young man watching from
the rock.  It sounded just like the scream of a woman in agony as she
plunged to her death.
     
.    The point of the story is that the eagle, just like so many
people, kept watching the future approaching but choose to wait until
the absolute last moment to make a decision (as so very many wait all
of their lives knowing that they will have eternal life if they accept
and walk with Jesus, but try to put it off till the last possible
moment).  The eagle, like so many "future watchers", lost.
     
.    Are you waiting till the last possible moment, watching the falls
approaching?  Do you really want to take that chance and miss being
able to live eternally?  Jesus is waiting for you to ask him into your
heart today.  A whole new world can be yours for the asking if only
you'll accept Him as your Lord and Savior.  If you have been waiting
and watching but are now convinced that you want to make the right
choice while you still have time, then pray the following prayer and
ask Jesus into your life.  DO IT NOW!
     
.    "Dear Father, I know that I am a sinner and need forgiveness.  I
believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins.  I am willing to turn from
sin.  I now invite Jesus to come into my heart and life as my personal
Savior.  I am willing, by God's grace, to follow and obey Jesus Christ
as the Lord of my life."

Jim Lewis, The Light BBS, (904) 625-2737
