Wings

Psalm 127

“Grab here, amigo.” I grabbed. “Hold on tight, por favor.” I held on. “When you come back toward the shore and I blow whistle, you pull cord pronto!” Within seconds I was airborne. A loud “whoosh,” a long strong jerk, and I was three hundred feet or so above the picturesque beach at Puerto Vallarta.

You guessed it . . . my first try at parasailing. Four-and-a-half minutes of indescribable ecstasy sandwiched between a few seconds of sheer panic. Talk about fun!

Above me was the bluest, clearest sky you could imagine. Behind me was a full-blown dazzling red-and-white parachute. Down in front, attached to my harness and a long yellow rope, was a speedboat at full throttle. Below, the turquoise sea, various sailing vessels, a long row of hotels, sun bathers the size of ants, and one beautiful lady wondering if she would soon be a widow.

I must confess, for those few minutes I forgot everything else. Never, since childhood, have I felt quite so free, so unencumbered, so completely removed from others’ expectations and my own responsibilities.

I like to think that might be the true, authentic, carefree kind of leisure and relaxation Jesus had in mind when He encouraged His twelve to come apart and rest awhile.

How easily we forget the necessity of recreation; how quickly we discount its value! In our neurotic drive for more, more, more, we become all roots and no wings.

Life closes in and takes the shape of a chore instead of a challenge. Fun and laughter, originally designed by God to remove the friction of monotony from the machinery of existence, begin to be viewed as enemies instead of friends. Intensity, that ugly yet persuasive twin of hurry, convinces us we haven’t the right to relax . . . we must not take time for leisure . . . we can’t afford such rootless, risky luxury. Its message is loud, logical, sensible, strong, and wrong.

We all need roots and wings. But most of us are long on the former and short on the latter.

Expand your world, free your mind, and calm your nerves. Don’t wait! Quit worrying about the risk or complaining about the cost.

Take time to soar!

Sometimes say out loud to yourself: “This is for my good and for God’s glory, even though I cannot begin to explain it.”

Taken from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com

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Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading programme in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.

పాస్టర్ చార్లెస్ ఆర్. స్విండాల్ దేవుని వాక్యాన్ని నిర్దిష్టంగా, ఆచరణాత్మకంగా బోధించడానికి మరియు అన్వయించడానికి తన జీవితాన్ని అంకితం చేశారు. ఆయన టెక్సాస్‌లోని ఫ్రిస్కోలోని స్టోన్‌బ్రయర్ కమ్యూనిటీ చర్చి వ్యవస్థాపక కాపరియై ఉన్నారు, అయితే చక్ యొక్క శ్రోతలు స్థానిక సంఘ పరిధి దాటి వ్యాపించి ఉన్నారు. 1979 నుండి క్రైస్తవ ప్రసరణలో ప్రముఖ కార్యక్రమంగా, ఇన్‌సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ప్రసారమవుతోంది. డల్లాస్ థియోలాజికల్ సెమినరీకి ప్రెసిడెంటుగా, అలాగే ఇప్పుడు ఛాన్సిలర్ ఎమెరిటస్‌గా చక్ యొక్క నాయకత్వం క్రొత్త తరం స్త్రీపురుషులను పరిచర్య కొరకు సిద్ధపరచడంలో సహాయపడింది.