John C. Maxwell told me “An Eagle Doesn’t Roost in a Sparrow’s Nest.”
My favorite chapter, so far, from his book Think On These Things
“Some people become more satisfied with their positions than their growth.”
This sentence hit me on a Monday afternoon as I read the book from our living room. It was a very sunny day, and the sunlight was brightly beaming against the sheer curtains. I stopped for a minute to digest the words again and looked outside the windows. It was an unusually quiet afternoon, and the trees and the grass seemed more vibrant than yesterday. I drank my iced coffee vanilla and listened to the beautiful meditation song playing in the background. The peacefulness of it all amazed me, but even so, it harshly reminded me of how currently jobless I am to be spending a Monday afternoon on a book.
I quit my job in January of this year and as a gift for myself, I bought this tiny book called “Think on these Things”, Meditations for Leaders by John C. Maxwell. I didn’t know John and I’m not familiar with his other books, but the title appealed to me. What other things should I ought to be thinking more about other than finding my next job? So I bought it and five months later, I’m still in the Chapter 14.
There were 33 chapters but because I prioritized a lot of things first, finishing the book became a challenge. I never had so much time in my hands and I felt overwhelmed with all the things I want to do like travel, explore other career options, do online business, and enroll in an online course. The list of my to-do things was too long so I did that one thing I’m always good at: procrastinate.
Until that specific Monday afternoon, when finally, the spirit of John C. Maxwell poked me and slapped me with his 6-page Chapter 14. Again, I didn’t know John but through this Chapter that he wrote, he told me things I needed to hear in my life right now.
And I am happy to share with you what he told me.
Think on These Things by John C. Maxwell
An Excerpt from Chapter 14: An Eagle Doesn’t Roost in a Sparrow’s Nest
Even when a common sparrow falls, God notices.
But the sparrow represents something rather insignificant and of lesser value.
The eagle, in contrast to the sparrow, is pictured as strong and great as it soars into the high heavens.
What a thrill to know that there’s a power from God that will help us attain spiritual heights as the eagle attains physical heights!
You and I as born-again believers ought to be like the eagle, never content to roost in a sparrow’s nest.
Each day, it’s possible to reach another unknown.
Moment by moment, experiences of growth and adventure in walking by faith can be ours.
Yet, it’s evident that many Christians have settled into a sparrow’s nest.
The reason for this living, though sad, is obvious.
Some people become more satisfied with their positions than their growth.
There are certain levels of nesting upon the mountain of life that appealingly say, “Stop here, settle down, and be satisfied.”
Along the path up the mountain are many resting places, often people will stop to rest and renew their strength before continuing their walk to the summit.
Some climbers would look up toward the top of the mountain and then decide to climb no higher.
They felt content to sit and wait while their friends continued to climb.
Instead of stopping for renewal, they decided to stay.
Instead of receiving strength to go higher, they rested on what they achieved and settled into the “sparrow’s nest”.
We, too, can choose to be numbered with the many.
We can choose to sit.
We can watch others climb.
There will be an offer of a seat for anyone who is tired, plus sympathy and 17 reasons why it is not necessary to climb higher.
Words of discouragement are contagious, that is why there are more at the bottom than at the top.
But there are always those in life who are eagles.
Slowly, steadily, with determination, they choose to pass the sparrow’s nest.
Each one who has settled for a second best is a reminder to us that life is a journey and not a destination,
That joy comes through striving, and not thru settling down.
That victory and quitting are not compatible.
The moment the climbers hesitate, the quitters will encourage them to stop.
If we continue to climb, they will criticize.
If we achieve, they will rationalize.
But finally, we arrive at the top.
It is less crowded now, but the caliber of those who make it is different.
At the summit you will find those who are encouragers.
We find great fellowship and conversation about
discipline, sacrifice, joy, happiness, achievement, and success.
No hard-luck stories on top of the mountain.
No critical, envious, and bitter spirits.
No bad attitudes or chips on shoulders.
No sour dispositions or negative thinking.
It is so good to be on top of the mountain.
The air is clear.
The vision is great.
The beauty is something to behold.
The fellowship is wonderful, and the feeling is good.
But that feeling is the result of hard work and determination.
That feeling of exhilaration surges through you when you know you’ve done everything possible
To fulfill the potential God has given you.
That feeling of achievement assures you that your talents and energies have been wisely expended.
You have soared like an eagle.
Yes, you have climbed like the eagle, and there’s nothing that can make you roost in the sparrow’s nest again — ever.
I finished reading the chapter and I thought how the universe made me sit on a Monday afternoon and grabbed John’s book instead of the TV remote. I paused for a little longer and finally, I thanked John for telling me that I’m just resting and renewing my strength. I know my potentials and that I can climb much higher.
As I looked again outside our windows, I began to count how many sparrows and eagles I know in real life. And to my surprise, John was right. There are, indeed, fewer eagles. So do I rest with the sparrows or do I become one of the eagles? And why should I be scared? God is with me and every day is a new day to make it possible. Every day is a chance to fulfill the potentials God has given us. It takes only courage, determination and faith.
So to you, who’s reading this, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful chapter written by John C. Maxwell. I know there are a lot of times that we feel drained and exhausted, but should that stop us from achieving what we want to achieve in our lives? What if our sacrifices today take us to greater heights we never imagined we will find?
Now, I’m not going to ask you if you’re a sparrow or an eagle. I’m going to ask you:
“How do joy, happiness, achievement, and success sound to you?”
