Soar

Moving from Stuck on the Ground to Soaring to New Heights

Question - What is something that you enjoy doing that always lifts your mood and brightens your day?

Last week I was inspired to see the Blue Angels fly over Southeast Michigan. Every time I see them, either live or online, it creates a sense of awe and wonder in me. I still recall the first time I went to an air show when I was eleven years old. We went to see the Thunderbirds, the Air-force version of the Navy’s Blue Angles. After waiting all day to see them perform I was elated to hear the roar of the engines as jets took off down the run way.  To see the pilots turn and roll their planes and then move so closely together was electrifying. I wanted to do what they did. I wanted to soar. 

I believe we all want to soar. We long to feel joy, freedom and elation. We all hope to rise above the normal and experience new heights and adventures in life. Whether it’s playing a sport, dancing on a stage, playing a musical instrument or connecting with our closest friend, we have all experienced the thrill and joy of doing something that we love.

We were not created to live bogged down emotionally or physically. The last few months have made life much more challenging to “soar”. Being cooped up inside, worrying about potential problems and feeling lonely and isolated brings us down very easily. 

What’s encouraging is that when we connect with God we experience a new level of life that we were previously unable to achieve on our own. It’s as if we could fly or even... soar.

Isaiah 40: 30-31 says, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

To hope in the Lord is one the greatest decisions we can make in life. Bad days are going to happen. We are going to find ourselves in situations we did not wish for. We will struggle and feel like the world is against us and nothing can turn out right. However, hope is alive and our ability to trust in God and put things in His hands determines what our tomorrow looks like. Life may not get easier but hope encourages us to press on.

When we hope in God, we can soar in many different ways. In Galatians it mentions the fruits of the spirit, which are attributes that follow when we hope in Him. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. These are characteristics we don’t come by easily on our own, but through Him we have the chance to experience their soaring beauty every day, even when we feel stuck on the ground.

When we hope in Him, we Soar.

Question - What is holding you back from hoping in the Lord? What is one of the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness , gentleness or self control) that you hope will be present when you place your hope in God?

Prayer - Lord we place our hope in you. We trust you with our lives, our futures and our challenges. We know that the hope you give is greater than any other and allows us to soar.   Thank you for loving us, and giving us the hope of you and your son every day.

Amen