Take Me Higher

TAKE ME HIGHER

From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting; lead me to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me].

Psalm 61:2 AMP

 I’m not a big fan of many modes of transportation. To me they are necessary evils that I tolerate for the greater gain of going someplace wonderful. The main reason I never could be persuaded to go to Hawaii until last November was the flight. Being confined on an airplane for such a long time was a major deterrent. Add to that all the boats, small planes, and helicopters involved in many of the recommended activities, and Hawaii was not even on my bucket list.

However, it was Bob’s turn to choose a vacation destination and Hawaii is where he really wanted to go. And now I’m so very glad that he did. What I experienced on the next to last day of our trip was reason enough to make the journey. We were on the “Big Island” of Hawaii with its wildly varying landscape. Did you know that all but two of the earth’s ecosystems are found right there on one island? Remarkable!

Almost everyone we knew who had visited this exotic place had insisted that we do the helicopter tour. I endured this advice all the while thinking to myself that a helicopter trip just was not going to happen. But my resolve weakened after 10 days of doing all the things that charm me most. Sweet Bob had gone along with everything that was my idea of a good time. I had lined up dinners of fresh, local ingredients prepared by widely acclaimed chefs as well as taking shopping and exercise breaks whenever my heart desired. So how could I refuse him this one thing?

To have any chance of enjoying this excursion, I had some work to do. There was the hurdle of the price tag–it was outrageously expensive. I just had to quit thinking how many fun souvenirs I could buy with that money. The van was to pick us up at the hotel lobby at 6:30 a.m. Really? We’re on vacation, for heaven’s sake! But my history with small vehicles and vessels was the worst obstacle. The close proximity, fumes, and motion almost always make me nauseous. Ugh. But I wanted to rise to the occasion for Bob’s sake, so I began preparing the way by trying to see it as he saw it.

John the Baptist prepared way for the world to know Jesus and his main message was to repent, to think again. That’s the essence of the word repent—to take another look (re-, a do-over) and see things from the highest place (-pent, as in penthouse). The beauty of this idea is that it isn’t hard to work up a change of mind or change of heart once you really see something afresh. The main requirement for repentance is to come with open heart and eyes, game that there may be a better vantage point to be gained.

That’s what I had to do to board that copter. I had to rethink, to change my mind for the better. I set my alarm clock determined to go with a good attitude. Although it was uncomfortable, I made the choice to take advantage of this rare opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of God’s amazing handiwork.

What I saw from the helicopter was stunning. I was awestruck by the greatness of God and by the limits of my human vantage point. These spectacular scenes will always serve as a reminder of how much more there is to discover about any given situation. I am motivated to think again whenever I face a daunting circumstance, knowing that there is much to be gained by seeing things from a higher place.