A Lesson on the Abundant Life... While Parasailing?

Today’s Scripture References – Peace with the Lord

Philippians 4:4-9 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Parasailing Adventure

One week ago, on our lady’s beach trip, I was invited by a friend to go parasailing. She had done it before and said it would be fun. Not really realizing what I was getting myself into, I agreed to go. Sitting on the beach watching other people soar above the beach has always looked fun. It just never occurred to me that I could or would do that.

So here we go, 2 of us parasailing while the other 4 were observing. Then the anxiety and sheer panic hit to the point I was crying. Tried to get my other friends to take my place. No one else wanted to be “shark bait”. They kept encouraging me to do this thing.

Next thing I know, I am being hooked up and whisked away. I screamed the first few seconds of leaving the boat. Next to me is my dear friend coaching me, letting me know everything is going to be okay. Almost immediately, I noticed that the further away we got from the boat, all the noises - my very loud thoughts telling me how awful this experience will be, the boat engine, the waves of the ocean, my beautiful friends cheering me on – just slowly faded away. Peace enveloped me. It was a surreal moment.

I finally eased the death grip on the harness and relaxed and enjoyed the view. Enjoyed the peacefulness. Enjoyed the beauty. Realizing that what I was experiencing was exactly what I needed. All the anxiety I had a few moments before was now gone. That peace of God, that surpasses all understanding was guarding my heart and my mind through Christ Jesus. I was not thinking of the million things that could go wrong and how we literally could be “shark bait.” After the captain dipped us in the ocean and we had a soft landing, I literally felt sheer excitement and it was evident.

The next morning, I woke up with an epiphany. Since I am a visual learner, sometimes God must physically show me to get His point across. This was one of those moments. My experience parasailing is how I am to approach all issues, problems, situations for the rest of my life – with a bird’s eye view and to get above the problem, to rise above my concerns. This is where there is peace, this is where you can hear the voice of the Lord more clearly. This is where you can see the whole picture, not just the problem at hand.

I also realized how vitally important to surround yourself with friends that are going to cheer you on, help you move past your fears and anxiety. Regardless of who you are, fear and anxiety can be two powerful emotions that literally paralyzes you. God knows this. He created us and does have patience with us. If we trust Him and allow Him, He will develop in us faith that overcomes all our fears. If we have trustworthy friends and allow them to speak into our life, we move through our anxieties and face our fears head on.