Well, I was hoping to blog while vacationing in Florida this past week, but I was far too tuckered out by the end of each enchanted day in Disney World to so much as remove my laptop bag from the tank top and denim-adorned depths of my EPCOT ball-sized suitcase. The weekend has been spent in Tampa where my cousin visited her mom, my mom visited a college friend from long, long ago (I think they went to Bedrock University together 😉 ), and I….well, I visited the beach!
We had a blast on our girls-only getaway, and I truly thank God for the time we were able to spend together. I’m certainly not taking it for granted; the coming months will usher in a whirlwind of busyness as my husband Ben and I open our very own box, CrossFit 925! While I’ve been chilling out with Mickey, riding magical rides, and lounging beachside, Ben has been demolishing walls like a human wrecking ball. Words cannot convey our excitement about this God-given opportunity.
Disney World may be brimming with fanciful amusements and whimsical displays, but wouldn’t you agree that the best adventures and most eye-catching marvels are the ones God engineers? One year ago today, Ben and I met. A year later, we’re husband and wife realizing a dream together. Just when you think you’ve seen all of the “Magic Kingdom” that is Life, the Lord constructs another roller coaster, introduces a new Disney prince or princess, even allows rain on the afternoon parade and long lines to the latest and greatest attraction. Yet no matter the weather conditions, the wait, or the scare factor, it’s always worth it, and always, always better than before.
One ride in particular got me thinking. I’ll try to define and explain what, precisely, it got me thinking about, but I suppose it can all be boiled down to humanity’s innate, inescapable yearning for glorification.
Now I’ll try to explain.
The ride was “Soarin’” at EPCOT. It’s a simulation ride (much like “Star Wars” or “Back to the Future,” for those familiar) in which you sit in a bench-like apparatus that tilts up and down as you “paraglide” over stunning California landscapes, like the majestic Yosemite National Park and the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. What fascinated me most about this ride was not the believability of it with its artificial gusts of wind, fragrant aromas of orange groves and evergreen trees, and very real flying sensation: it was everyone’s feet…
I couldn’t help but notice that on the tier of “passengers” just above us, every single person’s feet were kicking at the air. I soon realized that mine were, too, as were my cousin’s and mother’s next to me. It was as if we were pining for even more of this thrill. Speaking for myself, I wanted to break out of the bench and be free of all protective constraints. I wanted to skim like a heron over the white-capped river, dart in and out of sheets of a waterfall’s cascade, hover over Napa Valley and skip weightlessly across its vines, stop, perch, and admire the bustling world from atop the Golden Gate Bridge, then continue gliding through clouds on my way to the stars.
The Bible says eternity is planted in our hearts and that all of creation groans for redemption (Ecclesiastes 3:11, Romans 8:22). I can only imagine that the enjoyment we derive from frivolous theme parks with their bright, dancing lights, smiling music that seems to emanate from flowers and trickle down from trees, and escapist rides that simulate flight originates from the simple fact that such pleasure is what we were made for before sin crept in and separated us from the “Giver of all good gifts.”
I am so thankful that this planet, with its cheap imitations of ultimate joy and its pathetic shadows of God’s original design for our physical capabilities, from walking through walls to flying at will, will one day be restored and our bodies glorified and clothed with immortality.
And it’s all because of Jesus, the ever-reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords who left the true “happiest place on Earth” and everywhere else to set us free. I can’t wait to soar with Him.
“…those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40:31
Stay fit, stay faithful ~<3 Di