A higher purpose

I had the pleasure of surprising my husband with a glider ride for his 44th birthday this year.   No, I'm not trying to get rid of him, as some people might joke.    Although he is not the typical adventurous type,  I know this is something he always wanted to do.   This year, his birthday falling on a Saturday and since we had all of our boys together, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to give him this unconventional gift.   He would go on the ride up in the air while his family stood on the ground excitedly (and nervously for myself I might add) looking on.     Of course, my husband and I always had an appreciation for aeronautics as we attend many air shows and air space museums already throughout our marriage.  So this was an exciting  experience as much for the giver as it was for the receiver.  Before the happy day, I had some idea of how gliders worked, but its amazing to see it all happen when you're there in person.

First of all, a glider is designed differently then a regular airplane for that purpose it was created to be.  The fuselage or main body of the aircraft  is designed to be as small and light as possible.  The passenger, or passengers (sometimes 2) and pilot sit in a small cockpit.   They sit reclined so the canopy can be more streamlined creating  less drag in the flight.   The earlier gliders were made from aluminum that created seams and rivets which unfortunately created a lot of drag.  However, over time gliders became advanced and are now  created from seamless materials like fiber glass.   If you've seen a glider, you'll notice their wings are more longer and thinner.  This also creates less drag.
They also only have one set of landing gear which makes it lighter.    But how does it get off the ground in the first place?   Another powered plane is needed to tow the glider using a long rope attached.  Once the plane has pulled the glider along and its reached the desired altitude, the rope is released by the glider pilot using a quick release mechanism inside the cockpit.   The glider and tow plane then turn in opposite directions.    Doesn't that sound exciting?   So all of these factors is what makes a glider able to fly through the air without a motor, soaring to great heights all by the power of the wind.   It is this careful design that makes it the unique, swift flying bird that it is. With the right atmospheric conditions, they can stay in the air for hours at a time.
However, even knowing the science behind it and what goes into making a glider work, it takes a certain amount of trust and sense of adventure.  

There are a lot of things that can create ‘drag’ in our life.  Life itself can be a drag.    These are things that prevent us from soaring up to the heights that God wants us to.   Many of these things are old grudges, resentments, worry, stress that we hold onto just creating weight in our lives, holding us down.    I’m slowly learning as I continue in my own personal life and recovery just what it is that creates the drag in my life and how to let it go.  

  For example, my worry, comes from my attempt to control situations in life when things do not go my way.   Even though, I’ve been sober 3 years I still get these moments where I think, gosh , a drink would sure be nice right now.  So I pay attention to that moment and think, what it is I’m trying to control by my drinking.  For one thing, my attitude,   Alcohol was a way for me to escape the stress.  If I didn’t worry then the problem would go away, but it always came back and even worse than before.  Now I must trust God in those moments and allow Him to carry me up like that glider.  If I don’t let go of stress and give it over to God to handle,  how can I let the winds of the Holy Spirit carry me up where he wants me to be?  

Letting go of that rope and the things that drag us down takes a conscious decision.    It may be as easy as that quick release mechanism but most of the time its a struggle to let go of those grudges and resentments.    That is all a part of healing.  It takes time. 
Surrendering to God and taking that first step can be scary.   It definitely takes trust.   

But once you turn your will and life over to the care of God,  He will bless you with a new strength and not to mention gorgeous view once you’re there.   I know he did for me, when I made that decision to quit drinking almost 3 years ago.   I know He does every day, when I reluctantly let go of the rope that is attached to the worries and stresses that daily hold me down.   But once I do He carries me like that wind uplifting the glider.   You can not see it and you might not even feel it, but like that wind and unstoppable force, God is there surrounding you every moment of every day and if you allow it, He will carry you in the direction He wants you to go. 

He also sent His only son, Jesus  to spread his own wings on the cross,  to take all of our sin.   Sin being at the root of what creates the most drag in our lives.  He did this so we can not only soar with him in this life, but soar even higher in the next. 

Its also important to remember, before you start your flight, to sit reclined with your tray tables in the locked position.  But seriously, before you start your day, take the time to recline and take a moment to remember what God has done for you so far.  This will help create less drag in your day.  

God continues to work on me getting rid of the seams and rivets in my life forming me into a new material so that I may let the wind glide me.   You too, were created for this unique purpose.  You were not meant to be dragged down.   So what is creating drag in your life?  When you identify it and get rid of it then you can let Him carry you up to soar high like wings on eagles.

thank you for letting me share. 

-Hopeful girl, sober for 2 years, 11 months 2 weeks and 4 days. 

Hopeful believer for another day more.