How I got hooked in 47 seconds

What’s THAT?

12 years ago—in 2003, I was living in Santa barbara. My brother came to visit from New York; we took a walk on the beach and saw some people over our heads in what looked to us like parachutes - but instead of coming down like you’d expect a parachute to do, they were flying this way and that, staying in the air for hours! I asked someone what that was - they said ‘that’s paragliding’. My brother and I went home and looked up paragliding in the phonebook (believe it or not, yes, the phonebook was what worked just 11 years ago!). We found a paragliding school - I called the number, and the man said he could teach us paragliding the next day!

Uh, I don’t think I can do this...

We went to Ellings Park in Santa Barbara, and Rob from Eagle Paragliding taught us all about paragliding. He explained how it worked, what to do, what the equipment was, how to use it all. Then he put the equipment on us. We had to learn to fly this giant kite from the ground before we could fly in it through the air. What a rush to feel the wind inflate this giant kite - pulling me this way, then that way, being dragged across the ground! I was really scared. The wind in that big sail was truly powerful - and my fear was paralyzing. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do this. My fear was talking to me - and my fear was telling me ‘You do not have what it takes to go flying on this kite! Put this thing down and walk away!’  

Just like that, I left the planet

But the instructor was also talking to me. He told me to turn and face down the hill; he told me to run forward - with that kite up in the air - and that when I did, I would fly… I remember looking down that hill, full of apprehension - and truly afraid. I mean, this was just a giant kite, with me attached to it by way of strings! But the wind started cycling up just right, and he yelled out ‘Run!’, and I did. I could feel the lift pulling, pulling, pulling, and all I could say was a loud, ‘ohhhhhh! uuuuuhhhh OOOOHHHHH!’ and it happened. My feet were off the ground, and I was airborn! This place was a training hill—so I was flying just feet above the ground, but I was flying! It was a 47 second flight to the grassy field at the bottom—and in 47 seconds, I was hooked! I knew that this was something I wanted to keep doing as much as I could!

Since that time, I have found paragliding to be my favorite thing to do. When I paraglide, I literally get to step off of planet earth for a couple hours. In fact, a few weeks ago, I had my longest ever flight time - I got to fly at Torrey Pines Gliderport in San Diego for nearly 4 hours! But this would never have become such a source of refreshing freedom for me if I had stayed paralyzed by fear.

Punch fear in the face!

In his book START: How to punch fear in the face Jon Acuff writes “Fear would have told the Wright brothers not to fly. Fear would have told Rosa Parks to change seats. Fear would have told Steve Jobs that people hate touchscreens.” That day on that hill, I shut out the voice of fear—and I am so glad I did! Jon Acuff also wrote, “Regardless of what you want to do or who you are, fear will always see you as wholly unqualified for anything you ever dream or attempt.” I had dreamt of flying since I was a kid. That day, i did sense fear trying to shut that dream down. But that other voice—my own—was strong enough to say ‘I’m going for it!’. A decade later, I am a P-3 pilot flying an Ozone Rush 4 wing, pulling wing-overs and 360’s like nobody’s business and lovin’ it!

How have you experienced the stifling, paralyzing voice of fear? As you think about experiencing more of the flow of the Holy Spirit in your life, how is fear taunting you? How could you ‘punch fear in the face’ and listen to the perfect love in the voice of God? 1 John 4:18 says ‘there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear’. Today, lean in deep for full immersion into that fear-busting love from your Heavenly Father! Jon Acuff also said, “Quit asking fear for permission. Fear will never tell you it's time to do the thing you're afraid to do."  As you consider whether you will go deeper with the Holy Spirit, quit asking fear for permission! Kick out the fear, and kick on the faith! Let’s FLY!