Mounting up with wings like eagles

I chose faith over fear and wow... my steps (and flights) were ordered!

Synchronicity alert: For the first time in my life, I saw a Golden Eagle in its natural habitat on my recent trip.

As many of you know, I very recently took a trip.

Iron Sharpens Iron: Visiting my bestie in Tennessee!

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It was my first flight in 13 years. That’s when I went to see my Dad on his last birthday. For many years (2005 to 2011), I made dozens of flights to see my parents where they moved to in Texas. Both of them had gotten sick. First, my Mom and then my Dad passed on.

After that, I lost interest in travel (especially flying), and the years just, um, flew by. At some point, the thought of air travel began to fill me with dread.

I expected to never fly again.

Then, two parallel tracks converged.

Firstly, my best friend (

Alicen Grey

) moved away. She generously visited me often but I knew it was time for me to reciprocate. It was only fair. Plus I missed her very much and her having just rescued a cat was temporarily altering her approach to travel.

Secondly, here I am on Substack perpetually talking about how we can all be doing much more and much better; preaching about the need to break negative, self-sabotaging patterns and experience just how fearfully and wonderfully made we truly are.

My deep connection with Alicen intersected with my deep desire to lead by example, and boom… I booked a flight. To be more accurate, I booked four flights since it required a connection in both directions.

You saw in my recent post how awesome my visit was but today, I want to focus only on the flying part. I could go on for pages but I’ll choose a few highlights to illustrate the divine blessings I experienced.

A few days before I traveled, I found a beautiful, small wooden cross outside my local church. I slipped it into my pocket for the express reason of having it with me for my trip.

Near the end of the first flight, I didn’t realize it had fallen on the floor (I was in an aisle seat). A woman and her young daughter (maybe 3) were returning from a bathroom run.

I heard the angelic child ask, “Mommy, what’s this?”

I turned to see her holding my cross. I checked my pocket to make sure before telling the Mom it was mine. The little girl handed it to me somewhat reluctantly. I felt bad and asked if she wanted to keep it but her mother replied, “That’s very kind of you but I assure you she’s fine.

As I began to board flight #2, the airline was unexpectedly asking some passengers to check their carry-on at the last minute to help make room in the overhead bins. So yeah…I got a free bag check-in.

After that, I took my seat in an especially cramped row when a flight attendant singled me out. She asked if I’d be willing to take on the responsibilities of the exit row. Of course, I’d be more than happy to help out in case of emergency — and get all that free legroom!

Coming home, flight #3 saw me seated next to a woman (perhaps in her 70s) who noticed my “blessed” bracelet. “How blessed are you? she asked.

It turned out she was a retired pastor and still-active minister who was reading a book about Revelation. Thus began such an interesting conversation about the Bible that I literally did not notice we had landed!

upworthy

A post shared by @upworthy

On the last leg of my return to the air, I found myself in an otherwise empty row. I stretched out while alternating between the aisle and window seats — making sure I was in position to take this photo as I neared NYC:

I’m still processing all this favor and it helped to write some of it down here. In fact, I wish I could send this post to the pastor who asked me how blessed I am.

I’m not just blessed, I’m also inspired — inspired to take on way more challenges.

So, my friends, let’s get out there. Let’s close out this year by making some consequential changes we’ve been avoiding.

It’s time to spread our wings.

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P.S. This is not a post about air travel. It’s a first-person reminder that we could all be living in a literal paradise if only we’d reject the sinister forces of evil and choose faith over fear.

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