In Missouri, I loved the Bald Eagle rescue at our local zoo. They would often find eagles with broken wings and restore them back to health. It was sad to see such beautiful, stately birds, grounded. When they were well enough to be released, they were taken to an area where they could thrive. They might not be able to soar to the heights they once knew, but all they needed was the wind beneath their wings. The human spirit can also be broken. Tragedy, rejection, and despair can all break the spirit and leave us grounded. However, unlike the broken wing, the human spirit can actually become stronger than it ever was. Brokenness brings renewal, it purges old habits, ways, and destructive thought patterns. It takes us out of the equation and makes more room for the Father. Brokenness can make us rely on His strength and not our own. Those who soar with eagles have known brokenness, and they have learned who truly is the wind beneath their wings. We can now soar to new heights, unhindered by our own limitations. Brokenness isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning of the pathway to wholeness.