Life Lessons from the Eagle

Eagles have always fascinated me - especially the bald eagle. There are over a hundred species of eagles, but because our National Emblem has been the Bald Eagle since 1782, it has had more "face time" in the classroom. It is no longer on the endangered list since June of this year.

Every state in our Union has eagles except Hawaii, so people are constantly reporting "eagle sightings". The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of the sea and fish eagle group, andonce it mates, it mates for life! That's right: no hanky panky in the bald eagle world!

Mama Eagle lays from one to three eggs and the pair share the 35 days of incubation. (No deadbeat fathers here!) The nesting cycle is about 20 weeks.

The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male, and has a wingspan of 72 to 90 inches. She flies at altitudes of 10,000 feet, and during level flight, she can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph. She weighs only 10-14 lbs, and her bones are light because they're hollow. She is known for exceptional eyesight at far distances.

The most fascinating fact, I think, is that the eagle has the ability to adjust her body out of joint in order the ride the storm. Wow! What a lesson we humans can take away from that!

The eagle waits for a draft and rides it - no struggle, no wing-flapping! It's sort of an "atmosphere of grace" similar to the Christian who "waits upon the Lord" and has less wing-flapping, less struggle. The eagle is definitely a "storm rider"!

As mothers go, the bald eagle is the best metaphor for human parenting and parenting by Father God that I can think of. Since the outside of the nest is made with sharp materials to withstand invasion from intruders, she and her mate lined the inside with fur from their prey. They made a big old feather bed!

When the time comes for those little ones to leave the nest and start fending for themselves - some where around 4 years of age -- Mama Eagle starts pulling the soft material out of the nest to make it uncomfortable for them. Seems mean, but it is necessary to motivate the babies.