Flying high
Astrophysicist Laurance Doyle remembers an adventure in which he needed to land a plane sideways -- for real. Yet he was so clear about the nature of God that he felt not one lick of fear.
Check out the related Radical Acts:
BE childlike
WALK on water
Special thanks to the It's About Good Collective and Tabea Mangelsdorf for the music used in this podcast.
Posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 at 11:27 am | Follow responses with the RSS feedTopics: Safety
What an inspiring story! Thank you for sharing it, Laurence! And thanks for your wonderful testimony, too, Dawn-Marie!
[And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;]]II Cor. 3: 4, 5
Thanks, Laurance. I like how a simple prayer like “God get under me quick!” can have so a big impact on the situation.
Laurance, thank you for this contribution! I love how you could applied the same idea (or law) that a little girl used in her fall, to you falling from a thousand feet up in the air. It reminds me of how the same law that makes 2 + 2 = 4, makes 2,000 + 2,000 = 4,000.
Laurence, your stories and explanations of Christian Science always inspire me. Thank you so much for this one!
I had the most amazing experience of God’s presence a few years back when I needed to get down a steep set of ice covered stairs. I was leaving a second story apartment and there had been an ice storm. Everything was covered with ice, and the stairs had 2-4 inches of ice that sloped downward. Standing on the landing was a challenge, and I had no idea how to get down the stairs safely. It did not seem possible short of literally laying on my belly and lowering myself to the bottom stair by stair. This did not seem like a great option. So I stood there and prayed.
The only thought that came to me was, “Do you trust me?” I’ve trusted God my whole life with everything. So I really wanted to just respond, “of course I trust You, God! What a silly question.” Instead, I said something like, “well, yeah, but how the heck am I supposed to get down these stupid stairs?” :-P
Again, “Do you trust me?” I stood there and really searched my heart. God was asking me to go beyond my current situation and make a choice – either God really is the only power, or He’s not. The story of the 3 Hebrews who refused to bow down to an idol came to thought. They told the king, who was threatening them with death by burning in a metal melting furnace, that their God would save them. But even if He didn’t, they would rather die than betray their faith and their God.
Wow! I wanted that kind of trust. I wanted to love God so much that I would rather fall every inch of those stairs than turn my back on God. At that moment I was filled with this sense of total love and safety. So I said, “Yup, God, I trust you with everything that I am.”
The next thought was, “Hold out your hands, and I will get you to the bottom.” It took me a minute to follow these instructions. I assumed I would at least be told to hold the railing and the wall as I walked down. But no. God wanted my total trust. I wasn’t going to be able to turn to any other sense of help or safety – just God.
So, remembering that those Hebrew men came out of the furnace without even the smell of smoke on them, I put my hands out to my sides. At that moment, it was if there were people on either side of me, taking my hands and arms and stablizing my steps. I walked all the way to the bottom of those stairs, and all the way to my car, holding onto my trust in God, and I didn’t even slip in the tiniest way. It was if the stairs and driveway were totally dry. I sat in my car for a few minutes with tears in my eyes. I was so grateful for this amazing display of God’s love and absolute presence and power.
I’ve had many other examples of God’s loving care – none quite so dramatic, but obviously God none-the-less. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 English Standard Version) I’m not always good at remembering this counsel, but when I do, it is obvious that it is God at work in my life.
This was perfect for me! I am probably going to solo for the first time tomorrow, and I will definitely be keeping your testimony in mind. There’s no need for me to fear :)
So grateful for this testimony Laurence. One time after I had read the sunday lesson as first reader, my husband and I went for a horse ride. It was spring, and the horse gave a jump unexpectedly and i landed in a rocky field. I remember thinking “You can only fall into the arms of divine Love”. I landed in the only patch of snow in the entire field and was completely unharmed, holding onto the reins, with the horse standing patiently next to me as if to say, “well, are you going to ride or what?” I guess it doesn’t matter if you fall 8 feet or 800 feet, the landing is soft and safe in the arms of divine Love. God is everywhere.
Flying high with God and brother Laurance Doyle after listening to this – yahoooooooo!