Last Saturday evening I am standing on the edge of a vast canyon; the wind is blowing a stiff warm breeze into my face as I brace myself against its strong influence.  The beautiful vista that stretches out before me is truly breathtaking as I attempt to take in this vast landscape.  As I cling to a tree for support I shut my eyes to observe the wonders of this magical place in silence.  I was overwhelmed at the sounds that rushed up from the depths of this enormous canyon to whisper in my ear a song as ancient and sacred as it was soothing.

        As I open my eyes trying to take in all that I had sensed about this stunning place I see this massive winged creature effortlessly riding the winds before me.  And just as quickly as he appears, he vanishes out of sight in the depths of the canyon below.  As I search the canyon floor for the path of my little angel I am amazed to find him once again gliding a few feet above my head.  I never saw him flap his wings or exert any effort as he floats before me, suspended in majesty before my eyes.  Then, out of nowhere he rises and soars up to the heavens and out of sight; once again without any visible movement of his wings.

        What was it that gave my new friend such amazing powers of levitation?  How could he defy gravity without any visible effort?  He had learned to use the winds that had been pushing against me.  Like a kite, he rides the contrary winds and takes advantage of them to raise it higher.  No bird can soar too high as long as it only uses its wings; he must harness the forces that are pushing against him in order for him to rise above his earthbound neighbors.  He has learned to transform his stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

        We too can rise above the obstacles that lay in our paths today.  A successful journey does not depend on which way the wind blows but on the set of the sail.  Our fears and failures can cause us to fail or they can be the very things that push us upward.  And the amazing thing is the choice is up to us.   We can rise above our problems and difficulties; we can learn to benefit from the hot winds of adversity and harness them to soar far beyond anything we have known in the past.  You can choose to soar or sink when contrary winds begin to blow against you.

Something to think about:

• If God had really intended men to fly he’d make it easier to get to the airport.

• There are no great men in this world, only great challenges which ordinary men rise to meet.

• The higher we rise, the smaller things on earth become.

• Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.

• The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

• If there is no wind, row.

• Graduation from the university of adversity will help prepare a man for a life of diversity.

• He climbs highest who helps another up.

• Better a fall than not to climb.

Observations from Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Rickey Moore