Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

(ACTUALLY, THIS WAS WRITTEN BACK IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR... I HAVEN'T SEEN MY OWLS MUCH LATELY...BUT WE DID HEAR THEM THE OTHER NIGHT, SO WE KNOW THEY ARE STILL OUT THERE.  THINGS USUALLY START GETTING INTERESTING WITH THEM AGAIN IN THE WINTER...THAT'S THEIR MATING SEASON APPARENTLY! I'll keep you posted!..And as an update, they never did produce an offspring this past spring.  They kept going into the nest, but no baby owl ever appeared to our sight. Not sure what happened to it.  Last year they had twins, and two years before that they just had one baby.  So who knows? Maybe this hear will be the year for tripletts?  We'll have to wait and see!)
March, 2010...I had a most interesting encounter this morning with my owl friends.  I call them my friends because they have been making my back yard treetops their home for as long as we have lived here, and God only knows how long they were here before us.  Actually, this is their home...we invaded their privacy when our house was built in their woods, exposing their secret nesting tree to the human eyes of the world.  But thankfully, they have been very tolerant of our inquisitive prying into their world, and have actually appeared to enjoy showing off for us.  Case in point:

While it was still shadowy and misty in the early morning dawn, I stepped out onto my back patio and scanned the treetops for a possible sighting of "my" owls.  You see, it is just about time for their offspring to spring into view, so I have been watching for them every chance I can.  Much to my pleasure and surprise, I discovered the two parent owls huddling close together high on a branch to the west of my vantage point.  So I ventured out into the yard a bit closer and started talking to them...(hold your comments to yourself, please).  I said, "Good Morning Mr. and Mrs. Owl! I am so very glad to see you this morning." At this point they both turned their very large brown eyes right in my direction and looked me over very closely. Then I distinctly noticed that they turned away and looked at each other as if to say, "There she is again...that crazy lady who's always talking to us like she thinks we should understand what she's saying! How on earth did we get stuck with such a loony human neighbor?" Then they looked at me again and craned their fat feathery necks around in order to get a better look at me.  At this point I was getting a little nervous, as I know they were probably sizing me up to see if they could pick me up and carry me to their nest for breakfast.  So I thought I'd better talk a little faster and louder so they could hear me better...

This time I asked them, "So, where are your babies?  Do you have any new baby owls yet? Are they getting big enough to come out and play?"  Now, I kid you not...at this very moment the Mama Owl immediately flew off her perch, spreading her wide strong wings straight out, and flew very rapidly and directly to the nest tree, which is on the opposite side of the yard. She landed perfectly on the hollow tree and perched there at the opening of the nest and looked squarely at me again as if to say, "Here they are...the babies are right here safe within the nest!"  I immediately trotted over to that end of the yard so I could see her better, and bounced up and down clapping my hands with glee and saying, "Oh thank you Mrs. Owl! I am so excited! I can't wait to see your new babies! Thank you for letting me in on the secret! I promise not to tell a soul." (oh, well, I guess I lied.)  She gave me one last penetrating look, and all the while I noticed that she was regurgitating something in her beak, and then expertly dove head first down into that opening to feed her babies.  Of course, I fairly danced back to the house, waved good-bye to the Papa Owl who was still waiting on the other tree, and then I rushed off to hit the road for work.

So, what has all this got to do with us, or with our "waiting on the Lord"?  I don't know, except that I can see that for which I was earnestly waiting, the appearance of the baby owls, is about to happen...and the Mama Owl encouraged me this morning by her actions, as if to say, "Your waiting has not been in vain!"

In my real life, I had to wait quite a long time for an answer to prayer in the form of a job...and today the other ladies in the office and I were talking about how God's timing was perfect for each of us in the way that He answered our individual prayers. We each had our own stories about the frustrations of waiting, but yet marveled how God used that time of waiting to strengthen us and renew our minds and spirits so that we would be ready for the fruition of His divine plans.  I have been noticing that I am doing a lot of running back and forth in my new office due to the crazy maze of a floor plan we have to maneuver in order to get our daily work accomplished.  Even though I come home somewhat physically tired, at the same time I am exhilarated and renewed...because I know this is the Lord's plan for my life at this time.  I am so thankful that I "waited on the Lord"...and that He is giving me wings like the eagles (OWLS) to make it through each day.

"He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:29