TRAIT #1: Eagles fly at high altitudes, not with low-flying birds like sparrows or other small birds. Principle: If you want to be an eagle Christian, you need to fly with other eagles and stay away from sparrows and ravens. TRAIT #2: Eagles have strong vision, with an ability to focus on objects up to three miles away. When an eagle sights his prey, he will not move his focus from the prey until he successfully captures it. Principle: In order to succeed, we must have a clear vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacles may be. TRAIT #3: Eagles feed only on fresh prey, never eating dead things. Vultures eat dead animals, but eagles will not. Principle: Be careful about what you feed your eyes and ears with, especially on the Internet, movies, or TV. TRAIT #4: When storm clouds gather, eagles get excited. An eagle uses the storm’s wind to lift himself higher, far above the clouds. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees. Principle: We can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. High achievers thrive on challenges and use them profitably. TRAIT #5: An eagle tests before it trusts. When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate, she first tests his commitment. Then and only then, will she allow him to mate with her. Principle: Whether in private life or in business, one should test the commitment of people intended for partnership. TRAIT #6: During the time of training her young ones to fly, a mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump into the nest again. Next, the mother eagle pushes the eaglets off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, father eagle flies out and catches them up on his back and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for some time until they learn to start using their wings to fly. Principle: The people who love us do not let us languish in sloth but push us hard to grow and prosper. Even in their seemingly harsh actions, they have good intentions for us—and these steps are necessary to teach us to fly. Eagles don’t always have a soft and easy life, nor will we. But just as eagles illustrate, God is calling us to wait on Him and learn to soar higher, above the cares, trials, and trivial pursuits of life: 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.