Fly high
Above the earth
Wings spread to their full width
To catch the uplifting currents
Always.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…(Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
(The above poem is a cinquain, a form I will be exploring a lot in the next little while.)
Airborne
Beautiful clouds
Direction
Endless, fantastic glory
Happiness inspired
Joy kindly, lovingly manifest
No obstacles
Perfect quest
Rising
Soaring
Trusting
Unbelievable variety
Wonder
eXcitement
Youthful zeal
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings (Psalm 17:6-8 NIV)
Yesterday
I shared some things
I still need to learn
New directions
More distant destinations
But this morning
As I was thinking about
The things I can do
The things I could do
I began to consider
The things I should do
The things I was created to do
While I can dream of
Many desirable destinations
I may find
As I draw closer
That they’re
Not quite what I’d imagined
Other destinations
Those that
At first
Did not seem appealing
Are actually where I’m meant to go
And if that is the case
They will most certainly
Be worth the flight
Whether it be through
Updrafts
Downdrafts
Crosswinds
Even
The occasional
Storm
Today
While I consider
My destination
And
What I need for my flight
I realize
The number one thing is
Wisdom
And lots of it
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5 NIV).
To often I’ve been known to jump without a parachute.
Thankfully Grace caught me every time.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t have things to learn.
I do.
Jumping repeatedly without a parachute…
Definitely a bad idea.
So what does this jumper have to learn?
As a spender,
I need to learn to save.
As a impulsive individual,
I have to learn to think things through…
At least sometimes.
As someone who loves the potential of cyberspace…
New friends, new knowledge, new opportunities…
I have to remind myself
I still need to live in the real world.
As someone who loves socializing online,
I have to limit my time doing so.
I have work to do.
A family to take care of.
Friends to interact with – in person.
As someone who recently had a tire blow when traveling 60 mph,
I have to remember everything can change
In an instant.
Have I done everything I can to prepare for big changes?
Not yet.
A good place to start…
Do what I know to do.
Learn what I’ve yet to learn.
And definitely
Fly every day.
“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother” (Proverbs 4:1-3 NIV).
From yesterday’s post…
I know I’ll never soar
If I stay safely in the plane…
Or on the precipice…
Or wherever…
If I refuse to budge
I’ll never get anywhere.
I have much to learn.
But I do have
Enough basic knowledge
To jump.
I’m trying an experiment next week.
Instead of making numerous
Low-level jumps
Every day,
I’m going to ascend higher
So I can travel
Much farther
With one destination in sight.
I’m starting today
By limiting my presence
In cyberspace
And spending time
Face-to-face.
The experiment
Begins in earnest
On Monday.
Then I’ll share
Things I’ve yet to learn.
…let us live up to what we have already attained (Philippians 3:16 NIV).
F lying
L iving
I magining
G rowing
H oping
T riumphing
You may not see them,
But I know they’re always there.
I have wings.
Some days I keep them folded
And tucked in tight.
Other days I tentatively open them,
Timid about catching the current.
And then there are the best days,
The days I extend them fully
Even before I get out of bed.
Where’s the nearest cliff?
I have to jump off,
Knowing only then
Can I catch an updraft
And reach new heights.
For me
Opportunities equal cliffs.
But just because I come to the edge
Doesn’t mean I’m supposed to jump.
But there is real excitement
When I do.
This week I’ve jumped off
A few more.
I love the feeling of
The wind in my wings.
Tell me
What made you soar today?
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people (Galatians 6:10 NIV).
It must be fall,
My hands are cold,
Like blocks of ice,
So I’ve been told.
The kettle’s on
For something hot,
Not the thing
I do a lot.
Unless the winds
Are blowing cold,
And skies are gray,
And leaves are old.
It can be hard
To soar the skies,
When chilly currents
Round me fly.
I’d rather stay
Completely still
Snuggled warm
Beneath my quilt.
But autumn skies
Are calling loud,
They beckon me
Above the crowd.
So I must fly
To reach my goals,
Come fly with me
Before it snows.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).
They say it’s wise to
Swim with a buddy.
I say it’s also wise to
Fly with one.
Usually
It makes the journey
More enjoyable.
The shared joy and excitement
Lift us to newer heights.
If one of us begins to
Lose altitude
The other can
Encourage and strengthen
So we can again
Soar above the clouds.
It’s wonderful
To turn to our traveling companion
And say
Do you see that?
Today
I was reminded that
Putting our goals out there
For our friends to see
Holds us to
A higher level of accountability.
Enjoy the flight, my friends.
And remember
To fly with a buddy.
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together (Psalm 34:3 NIV).
Maybe I should be flying
Up the stairs
To get some shut-eye.
But I made a promise
To try to reach out to you
Pretty much every day.
To share with you
The lessons I’m learning
About life and flight.
Sometimes
The topics
Fall into my lap.
At others
It seems to take more work.
And then there are the times
I seem to be grasping
At illusive, uninspired straws.
But that’s life.
Sometimes I fly high
Soaring at breathless heights.
Sometimes…
As the old saying goes…
I just keep on keepin’ on.
Every now and then
I struggle to put
One foot in front of the other.
The path may meander.
The ground may be solid
Or it may littered with potholes.
And then again
I may walk right off a cliff.
At first
I make a hasty descent.
But then
I unfold my wings and catch the updraft.
And those might just prove to be
The most exciting times of all.
Let us not become weary in doing good…(Galatians 6:9 NIV)
Free2Soar 