I woke up one morning thinking of the skydiver. He steps from the airplane knowing his journey will reveal things about himself that were previously unknown. He will find his senses filled with fear and excitement as they fight to consume his very existence.
The views of his ultimate destination far below seem surreal as a type of euphoria envelopes his thoughts and a strange sort of peace slows his pulse just long enough to take in the view of the world below. If he is well studied in the sequence of events needed to make a successful jump then he can allow himself to enjoy the freefall. The first time jumper thinks of only arriving safely on the ground. But, as he becomes more confident in the rip cord he begins to enjoy the fall. At first the jumper does not feel like he is in control as he steps from the safety of the plane. Gravity immediately performs its duty and pulls the jumper to a sure death while his brain is screaming “PULL THE CORD”.
However, once the skydiver finds he can trust the ripcord, he will find the freefall more enjoyable. The earlier the parachute is deployed the longer it takes for the jumper to reach the ground and the more time spent to enjoy the scenery. But, that takes from the rush of the freefall towards earth.
So what does this have to do with anything you ask?
Well, I got to thinking of how life is like skydiving. With life being a freefall that we know will one day end. I find it interesting that so many of us don’t prepare for the sudden stop at the end of this ride.
God is our parachute and He wants us to enjoy this ride more then we could ever imagine. A long time ago I ask God to be the controller of my life yet I continued to make decisions on my own and do as I pleased, never taking the time to read the instruction manual.
Some years later I found myself blaming God because of the mess my life was in. You see, I didn’t realize that God is a gentleman and will not take control of my life without my relinquishing control.
Just like that parachute will not deploy on its own just because the ground is drawing dangerously close.
Through my self-inflicted pain brought on by my stubbornness and pride I discovered that the earlier we pull the rip cord and deploy the parachute, the longer we get to enjoy the ride. As soon as I deployed God and allowed Him to lead me, peace dwelt within as I make my way through this life.
Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t get blown by the wind or that the storms don’t affect me. However, I have discovered a peace in knowing that God will take care of me and give me wisdom to make better choices. I now trust in Him to control what happens around me.
Freefalling is fun and I would never say that it isn’t. But, the ride is short and in the end is destruction. Besides after you hit the ground is no time to pull the cord.
Maybe it is time for you to become familiar with the manual (Bible) and then pull the cord and let God show you the ride of your life. Psalm 100:5
Remember to always ride the narrow road and stop in and see us again.
Your riding campanion, Larry "Skeeter"
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