Really flying

If you know anything about me, you know that I like my Flight Simulator game a lot. I like to tease that it is the cheapest way to become a world traveler; all you need is the joystick and game, which together cost about $50. And I just enjoy flying around in all sorts of aircraft in all sorts of places. On Flight Simulator you can fly just about every plane you can imagine; the Wright Brother's 1903 "Flyer", Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" and other older aircraft to more modern jets such as the Boeing 737 & 747, not to mention smaller planes like the Baron 58 or the Piper J-3 Cub.

While I thoroughly enjoy Flight Simulator , nothing can beat flying in a commercial jet for real. Recently our family flew to northern California to visit my grandparents. There were lots of exciting moments when we flew. We got to see the huge airports and many different types of planes.

But that's nothing compared to takeoff. As the plane pulls onto the runway and starts to accelerate I start to get really really excited! Then the planes lifts off into the air and you fly higher and higher till you pass the clouds and exceed 30,000 ft. When you're up there you can see farmlands, rivers, cities, and deserts, not to mention lakes, trees, and mountains. Up, up, up your eyes wander till the land fades into the hazy horizon and then above that you see long, skinny clouds against a dark blue sky.

As you've probably picked up, I think real flying is a lot more fun than virtual flying. I like seeing the real world from 32,000 ft much more than the virtual world from 32,000 ft!

I thought it was interesting how many spiritual lessons you can learn from flying. Flight Simulator is realistic, but it's nothing like the real thing. That's how it can be with Christians sometimes. Some are authentic Christians--the real thing. They have a relationship with Jesus, read their Bible, pray, and do what He says. Others are like my Flight Simulator. They go through the motions, attending church, prayer meeting, etc. but they do not really seek God's will for their life or seek a relationship with Him.

In Matthew 7:21 Jesus talks about the issue of obedience.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Let's make sure that we are not just going through the motions of being a Christian. Let's really fly and obey God and have a relationship with Him!