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Monty and I spent much of the summer of 2008 in Alaska. We spent several days at one of the five Kantishna Air Taxi’s rental rooms located 94 miles deep into Denali National Park and 20 miles from the towering north face of Denali. It’s the summer residence of the pilots who fly small planes around Denali. We could spend a day hiking and never see anyone—just the mosquitoes that seemed nearly as large as flies. Yes, we wore netting around our heads so we could talk and see—as the picture illustrates. 

One day, we watched a soaring golden eagle that kept us mesmerized. It seemed such a picture of elegance. There was an aura of untamed strength and power as it gracefully rode thermals in the air. There appeared to be an air of nobility as this majestic bird glided effortlessly through the open sky.

I knew eagles were sizable, but later, in the Seward Peninsula’s southern part, we watched bald eagles feasting on salmon when I was startled. An eagle landed on a log a few feet from me, and I suddenly became aware it was much larger than I realized from watching them at a distance. The eagle was about three feet tall. Hence, his head reached my mid-chest since he was perched on the fallen log. Yes. I was a couple of feet taller. Still, I felt intimidated, for it would probably be about waist high on an average adult. Fortunately, it was interested in other things and only paused momentarily near me.

The female is larger than the male and can have a wingspan of up to eight feet. Try picturing that. I stood beside a bird whose wingspan could be a couple of feet longer than my bed. That’s a big bird!

At other times, we watched some eagles with their babies in large, very elevated nests, 50-125 feet high—always near water and where there was a commanding view of the surrounding terrain. We were told their nests are about 6 feet or more across at the top. I can’t imagine two adult eagles with their young in that nest as the youngsters start getting ready to fly when their wingspan is six feet or more. After being up close to one adult, I think 3 to 5 eagles in a nest would get pretty crowded.

Perhaps that’s where the expression “kicked out of the nest” came from. I can imagine a baby eagle wanting to stay comfortable in its nest with both parents feeding it instead of foraging for itself. Maybe someone saw a baby eagle falling from that tall nest up on a cliff or high place and watched the baby frantically flapping its wings before having Mama Eagle fly under it, catch it on her back, and then deposit it safely back into the nest. I’ve heard these stories but couldn’t verify that anyone has photographed or recorded such a happening. However, it may be what Deuteronomy 32:11 is referencing. [“As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings” (NKJV)]

Anyway, the idea of being kicked out of the nest could easily have originated from two adult eagles getting crowded by several rather large young ones. 

We have all probably known of children who were too satisfied with remaining at home and didn’t want to “test the waters” or try to fly and find food on their own. That is all so scary—however, this is probably true for all young beings, not just eagles or humans. Perhaps the baby bird doesn’t realize it will not survive unless it learns how to fly and becomes independent. Therefore, the parent may occasionally be forced to teach the baby bird that it must learn to flap those wings so it doesn’t hit the ground so hard. Once the bird (or child) experiences that “first time,” it will hopefully do better the next time.

We all like the comfort of home and being cared for, but we only mature if challenged to grow up. Life is an adventure. We all encounter those “updrafts” or “downdrafts” that may occasionally carry us where we want to go or take us places we would just as soon not go.

This is where parents (or leaders) must exercise wisdom and motivation to help young ones reach their full potential because always protecting youngsters from difficult situations doesn’t allow them to mature. Discernment becomes critical—“what would be harmful and stunt them” versus “what would be challenging to stimulate good growth.” We’ve all watched the baby learning to walk, often by an adult supporting it. At the same time, another parent is in front of the child, holding something out—like a toy or food—to encourage or motivate the toddler to leave the first parent and attempt to take a step or two on their own. This process should continue for all youngsters as they mature in maneuvering in the world where they live so that they will someday soar fearlessly like the eagles.

However, lest we think kicked out of the nest only applies to birds or youth, I think we could say that on October 7, the sheer depravity of Hamas’ brutal murder of 1,400 mostly civilians and subsequent celebrations of that depravity in cities across our country and others is causing many to feel kicked out of the nest of their belief system where they had been comfortable. The past two weeks have shattered many illusions, one of which is that wokeness is about protecting victims and standing up for persecuted minorities; however, many were kicked out of that nest of belief when they realized it is ultimately about power and destroying those who disagree. 

May God use this to direct us toward prayer, especially for all involved.