To begin this blog, we will start with when the event occurred. February 13, 2010 was the day; 3:00 pm was the time, though we had been there since about 11 in the morning. I was the last to go on our excursion of fun for the Valentines Day weekend. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves on what happed to me and 7 of my friends here in Byron Bay Australia. Let’s start at the beginning of the day when I made the decision to face a huge fear and pay $100 dollars for it.
Our adventure begins around 8:30 in the morning when I woke up from a very wonderful nights sleep. I was woken by Austin, my team leader, telling me that it was time to get up. So I reluctantly did and got some breakfast, got dressed and ready for the day. I didn’t really have much planned, just a Skype date and some shopping around for gifts and souvenirs. Then, as I was waiting to talk to Sarah, I overheard her and Brooke talking about going Hang Gliding sometime soon. I was intrigued so I listened closely to what they were saying. Brooke started calling around to different places and she talked to a man who could do it that day for $100 Australian which is around $80 something in American so they jumped at the chance. I at first was hesitant, my fear of heights and extreme sports was pulsing through my body and I didn’t want to do it. As I was thinking I’m not going to do it, I heard God’s voice say to me “I did NOT give you a spirit of Fear,” so I decided to go with just a small amount of Dramamine in my system. Yea, I wasn’t putting a lot of Trust in God but I thought I’d be better safe then sorry.
So 8 of us went: Brooke, Sarah, Ashley, Christine, Emily, Ricki, Danny and I all got in to the instructors van and set off for the hill that was on the other side of the Bay. After a few hours of waiting, it was finally my turn. My nerves were surprisingly non existent. All I was feeling was excitement and anxiety to get in the air. Everyone else’s take-offs were just off the top of the hill, but I guess God was rewarding me for waiting, for facing my fears and doing something fun and kind of crazy. So I got to run off the slope at the middle part of the hill and take off into the air from there. It was AMAZING, just the feeling of flying and being able to soar over everyone and everything in the entire world. As you take off, you have to stay still so the wind can catch you. Then you put your feet into the bag and just cruise. While I was up there, I realized the absolute freedom of being up in the sky. It was the closest I’d been to the Heavens without being in a plane. I realized that the soaring feeling you have is probably the exact way God feels when one of His children is happy and dancing in Him. That is where I was at when I was dancing in the excitement of being a part of His family and being loved by Him.
So where our story begins it also ends- back at the church preparing for Valentines Day, and the Love that it was going to hold for us. I’ll never forget about the day I spent hang gliding with my Jesus and living His life even for just a few minutes. It’s a freedom that you can only know if you have that special relationship. The cool thing about God is that each relationship is different and just as special and just as important to Him as every other person in the world who has a relationship with Him. Freedom is a choice but choosing to walk in the Lord is a totally different feeling. It’s a trust that is hard to give and receive, but He is willing to hear and cry with you no matter the problem, as well as dance with you when you are soaring in Him and over everything. Just you and Him FOREVER.
