New Year, New Altitude
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
-Isaiah 60:1
Once upon a time, I was on the ground looking up at the clouds. Now, I’m in the middle of them!
I admit, it makes my stomach drop when I look over the edge of the balloon basket. I have moments of panic and I’m a bit of a “basket case.” HaHa!
Breathing at this altitude is difficult when I forget to trust my heavenly Father. If I let myself think about the logistics of how this thing stays in the air, or how quickly it could plummet to earth if something goes wrong in the operation, I’m paralyzed with fear — kinda like the face of our middle child, Sam, so perfectly captured in this photo!
As for me, I may look all smiley and calm, but “in real life” I often feel like Sam’s outward expression.
Our friend, Nick, took this picture of our family in front of a green screen. What began as an outside-the-box Christmas card idea turned into a video card I made (click on video at bottom).
I didn’t plan to share this video card publicly; it was only meant to be for friends and family. But as I was considering what my next blog should be about – the very FIRST of the NEW YEAR -- I felt that “tap on the shoulder” I’ve become familiar with from the Holy Spirit.
He whispered a reminder that Isaiah 60:1 is why I am here right now, in this moment.
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
He put that verse on my heart a few years ago – back when I first began creating the content for this website. Back when I decided to take bold action; to put my Faith Forward and “tell my story for His glory” in a very public way.
I’m so glad God hasn’t asked me to be an astronaut! I admire those who have that kind of courage, smarts and ambition. But I prefer more peaceful ways of leaving the ground…like floating (see my blog titled Heart Compass/Hope Floats).
Yet even in this calmer, gentler vehicle God has chosen for me to journey with Him in, I wouldn’t really call it a breeze. There’s beautiful scenery up here, yes. It’s a great adventure of surprises. However…
The enemy has his ways of trying to Usurp-the-rises!* I regularly throw bricks out of the basket that pose threats of grounding the balloon again. Fear. Doubt. Insecurity. Unbelief. Comparison. Rejection. How did those get in here…again?
Fortunately for me, God is a very patient balloon captain. He is kind and reassuring and encouraging, always pointing me to what His Word says about the devil’s tricks so I can ’86 the bricks** once more…and soar a little higher.
I’m getting better at sensing the change in gravity before I get too low to the ground. Quicker at dumping the junk that weighs me down and holds me back from the new places God wants to take me to. My hope is in Him, and I’m breathing again.
Buh-bye, bricks. I’m ‘86ing the old as I ring in 2019. New Year, New Altitude!
reSOURCES:
*Definition of the word Usurp: to seize and hold (office, place, functions, powers, etc.) in possession by force or without right.
**Slang definition of ‘86: to discard; to get rid of
I love Hannah Hurnard’s book HINDS FEET ON HIGH PLACES, about an orphan named Much Afraid who climbs above fear with her shepherd’s help! https://www.lisahentrich.com/resources/