An Eagle named Spirit

I was in Coledale Alberta yesterday at a bird sanctuary and was surprised to find they were keeping a stately Eagle latched to a pin in the ground with a leather tong around its ankle. The Golden Eagle, Spirit, just sat there turning his regal head from side to side as we all called out to him. My three grand kids were amused and the eight year old was busy taking photo's of Spirit. A volunteer bird keeper told us that Spirit was blind. It wasn't really noticeable until you studied the bird closely then you could see the right eye was a little glazed. Birds rely on their eyes, they do not have a sense of smell. In order to get Spirit to eat staff needed to press the food to his beak, right into his face. I pondered as to why they would keep that bird alive, force feeding a blind bird seemed a little confusing to me. At the end of the adventure we entered an exhibit hall with a slide show that displayed photo's of Spirit when he was brought in by a rescuer, dazed and wounded. He was sitting up, like any passenger would, in the back seat of the van his rescuers delivered him in. They thought he had been hit by a car as his head was so badly swollen. But the vet was shocked to discover that Spirit had two bullets in his chest and two in his head. One entered through his right eye and settled in his skull. That was what blinded the right eye, infection set in and took the vision from his left eye. I sat in awe looking at the x rays on display. How is it that this bird is alive? And who would shoot an eagle? The lasting impact Spirit had on me and all three grand kids will go on for years to come. Spirit is an ambassador. Now I have full comprehension as to why he must stay alive. People need to hear his story. Perhaps one by one we will see changes made in peoples behaviour because of this survivor.
Our God who see's each sparrow fall cares about this Eagle, and He cares about you and I. We can learn from nature. A deeply wounded and damaged individual is precious and most valuable. They too are the greatest ambassadors we have. Let us ponder this message, deeply.