Read: Proverbs
15:20-22
The way of
a fool is right in his own
eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15
When
daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped out of his space capsule from 128,100 feet
on October 14, 2012, he was attempting to set a world record. He ended up
setting more than one. He set the altitude record for manned balloon flight; he
broke the record for a parachute jump from the highest altitude; and he set the
record for the greatest freefall velocity (843 mph), which allowed him to
become the first person to ever break the sound barrier without a vehicle. The
whole jump took over four years of planning, and there were many things that
greatly concerned his coordinators. One of their fears was realized when he
went into a dangerous free spin, called “the death spin,” for over fifty-five
seconds during the freefall stage of his jump. It is called the death spin
because at that speed, many jumpers are never able to get out of it. The body
starts spinning so fast that all the blood rushes to the head and feet, which
literally causes the head to explode. Baumgartner was able to maneuver out of
the death spin, pull his parachute, and float safely to the ground.
Many Christian young people aren’t so
fortunate when they allow their lives to spin out of control after they graduate
from high school. The feeling of freedom that engulfs many recent graduates
leaves them with the perception that they can do anything they want to do,
whether it is right or not. They are filled, in some cases, with pent-up
feelings of rebellion, anger, fear of the unknown, or any number of other
things that finally spill out when they feel like they are free. They start spinning
head-over-heels unrepressed, and many of them are never able to regain control,
“pull the parachute,” and land safely on their feet. What started out in the
innocence of finally reaching a maturity milestone turned into a disaster from
which they never recover.
It is possible to be free without
freefalling. To experience the feelings of freedom without regret, you must
begin the planning stages well before graduation day. All the advice, all the
counsel, and all the teaching is preparing you for your leap into the “real
world.” Your parents and leaders have been where you are going, and they know
what you will need to be ready. Don’t fight their help, embrace it! Don’t become
another sad statistic of a teenager with so much potential that went into the
spiritual death spin from which he was never able to recover.
Quote of
the day: “Keep your head and heart going in the
right direction, and you’ll not have to worry about your feet.”
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