Nugget of the day: Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. Deuteronomy 32:11 Mother eagles are amazing creatures. They are a perfect image of strength and power. When they are in mid-flight with their wings spread out they are beautiful and majestic. As powerful as they are they are also very caring of their young. The mother and father watch over the young eaglets night and day.  They provide the babies with food and make sure they grow to be healthy adolescents.  The nest is comfortable, and the eaglets want to stay in there forever. Until one day when the mother knows it is time for her babies to fly. She starts making the nest uncomfortable for them, and they have no choice but to try and fly. The first flights are not easy, and the eaglets need help. The mother flies under them, and when they tire, she swoops in and catches them on her back and carries them back to the safety of the nest. One day the eagles are ready to venture out on their own, and the mother lets them. She knows in order for her babies to survive and become adults they have to leave the nest. God does the same thing for His beloved children. He spoon feeds us and protects us. God equips us with the skills needed to fulfill our calling. When we get too comfortable in our surroundings and don’t live up to our potential, He makes us uncomfortable.  God challenges us, and He pushes us to be the best we can be. As we face these challenges, our faith grows, and we learn to trust Him. God still watches over us and will swoop in when we need His assistance. God knows if we are too comfortable we will never grow in our relationship with Him and our faith will remain immature. My prayer tonight is that we realize our loving Father is watching over us. He has plans for our lives, and if He does not challenge us, we will get complacent with our faith. This complacency will prevent us from becoming mature Christians. If God is asking you to go out of your comfort zone, He knows you are ready to learn to fly. Trust Him and be willing to accept the challenge. Be confident knowing that He only pushes us out of the nest when He knows we can fly.  And when we need Him, He will swoop in and guide us.