People, I jumped out of a plane!!

I still can't believe it. For about 6 months now, my cousin has been trying to get me to do this...finally we took the plunge. Literally.

I met my cousin Meagan in a small town (not sure if it was a town) about an hour north of charlotte. It was a four hour drive for each of us. When I pulled into the place, I thought that we may have made a mistake. I was expecting an airport. This was more like one of the farms on Johns Island. I expected a free range chicken to run under my feet at any moment. The first step was to go into the small office and sign you life away. Then there was a safety video to watch, which seemed to be hosted by one of the founding members of ZZ Top. I took a picture of it so that my husband would know that i watched it (another story). Then off we went for "ground training"




about to step out of the fake plane



being pushed from the fake plane



arch back training



 Finally, it was time to get suited up. I was sooo excited.

and away we went...

sign says "Propellers Rip Off Heads"  Great Choice for the last thing you read before you step on the "runway"

The plane was about the size of a small SUV inside. There were no seats. I sat on the floor facing the back of the plane with my back leaning against a piece of plywood. not kidding. I was closest to the door because I was going to be the first one out. My cousin sat behind the pilot (leaning back on his chair) Our guides were facing us. The belts (not seatbelts :) were attached to the floor and buckled around our harnesses when we sat down. As we ascended in this "after school project" of a plane, I was very thankful that I was going to have chute strapped to me soon. A few minutes into the flight (it lasted about 20), I look up and my tandem partner is SLEEPING!!. i nudged my cousin and gave her the look the that you probably have on your face as you are reading this. I was quite sure that I wanted needed the person who i was about to strap myself to and leap towards earth with to be alert.



Our instructors had these dials on their arms that showed the altitude; and when we got up to 8,000 feet, it was time to put into practice our five minutes of training. It was harder than you would expect to move around in that little plane. I had to turn around and face the front, then my guide attached our harnesses. When we got to the proper altitude, the pilot pulled these two knobs and it seemed like the plane slowed down to a hover. My guide said, "are you ready to jump out of a plane?' and I nodded. :) Then The door popped open.



The next part is something that i will never forget.



i want to tell you why.



I love the Lord. I love the teacher that he is. I truly believe that in every situation, just as James says, there is a chance for our faith and endurance to grow. In Bible study with basketball girls, we have been talking a lot about faith, and last weekend, the Lord gave me an object lesson in it at the Women's retreat. I tried every way I could think of to get someone else to lead the music because I was sure that I was not good enough to do it. The Lord taught me so much through that process about his Faithfulness and about the real me (which is what Jean Baker told me that steps of faith will do) that I probably need to do another post about that subject.



So I have been thinking about Faith a lot lately; and on the ride to Charlotte, the Lord began to show me how this tandem jump I was about to do was a lot like my walk with him. I get so scared at times to step out into the "unknown." And unlike those crazy North Carolina country boys who were strapped to our backs on Saturday, the Lord won’t push us out of the plane if we are too scared to jump. Even though he knows the joy and exhilaration we will experience if we do trust him and step out.



As the door popped open on the plane, a rush came over me like I have never experienced. The guide put his foot out on this yard stick of a thing under the door. I was to follow suit, and I did. It was very difficult to hold your foot steady, as the wind was blowing so hard. Finally the count...1.... lean back and forward...2.....lean back and forward.....and .....3!!! We were off!!! For a split second, I could see the plane in my peripheral vision (and how fast we were moving away from it) and i thought, "crappity crap I just jumped out of a plane!!!" BUT THEN the coolest thing happened. I could no longer see the plane, and the earth did not seem as though we were getting any closer to it. I felt like I was FLYING. I put my arms out and started shouting (joyfully, not out of fright). My guide was laughing as I was shouting "I'm flying!!"



Then he pulled the parachute, and there was one of the most peaceful silences that I have ever experienced. He pointed out Charlotte's skyline (an hour south) and Winston Salem’s skyline (45 min to the east) and Grandfather mountain to the west. I could see the farmland below divided like a patchwork quilt. It was amazing.



I was in the shower yesterday morning (I do my best reflective thinking in the shower), and the Lord brought this to my mind again. I realized that he created tandem skydiving (like all things) to point us to Him, to his sovereignty, his fathering, and his joy as we experience trusting him, stepping out with him, and flying.