Learning how to fly

How many of us as children wanted to learn to fly? We pretended to be superheros taking flight with our homemade capes. We marveled at the birds in the air and wondered what it would be like to have wings.

When was a time that you felt like you were flying? I remember when I was little I imagined I was flying when I would swing as high as I could on the swingset. When I was a little older, I discovered the thrill of doing a backflip in gymnastics, especially as a dismount from the bars, which gave me the illusion of flying even for just a moment. Finally, as a teenager my friends and I rode a ride at Six Flags that harnessed the three of us together and then lifted us to 125 feet in the air before releasing us from the cable to set us free to “fly.” It was a little scary...but exhilarating!!

Have you ever considered what it would be like to fly? I was just considering this the other day as I observed the flight of a bird during one of my walks on my favorite nature trail. That day, I encountered the pure joy of the Lord while singing songs in Spanish with a small group of ladies after our prayer time. When one of the ladies asked if I knew any hymns in Spanish, it was as though the Holy Spirit came alive inside of me that ignited a joy as we sang. The feeling of freedom from life’s worries partnered with the intimate awareness of God’s presence is similar to the joy I imagine flying would bring. God is teaching me a new lesson that I am praying to learn more about in the coming days through prayer and study of His Word. Perhaps there is another lesson from the Scripture on taking flight when we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us.

When does the Bible say we fly?

-When we wait on the Lord in hope:

“but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

-Isaiah 40:31

I started this blog post in 2019, and during that time, I also emailed a few of my friends to ask them how they would illustrate/describe freedom in the Holy Spirit to a child. I decided to illustrate a young mom holding her child up like an airplane in the air. This inspired a devotional page with dialogue in my book, Sing with Creation/Canta con la Creación.

I also at that time wrote a blog post all about freedom in Christ, which centered around the verse,

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17

Finally, I went in search of a song that would help to describe the joy and freedom the Holy

Spirit brings that feels like flying! I did not find

one that I could use for my book, so one night as I was discussing this with my friend, Kristal, she said, “Why don’t we come up with one ourselves?” We tried different tunes and words and then decided to continue thinking on it. A few minutes later, she texted me and excitedly called me back and left a message with a verse she had thought of to the tune of “I’m Happy Today,” which became the first verse of “I’m Flying on Wings,” “Vuelo en Alas.” God downloaded two more verses to me, which were deep truths He had written on my heart from my journey with Him in 2020.

Do you have people who God has put in your life that have deepened your walk with Christ and helped to strengthen your faith? Kristal is one prayer warrior with joy who God put in my path in 2018 to encourage me.

In 2018, I prayed for joy, and in 2019, I received a download of joy from the Holy Spirit when brothers and sisters in Christ laid hands on me and prayed.

Then, in 2020, I met another special friend, who has a gentle, quiet strength about her and a relationship with Jesus that has taught me so much. She is gentle as a lamb in person and

bold as a lion as a prayer warrior. My friend, Crystal, has walked alongside me in prayer and taught me more about faith that moves mountains and the power of the Holy Spirit available to us. She taught me to fly higher in prayer with Jesus by my side and the Holy Spirit interceding for me and with me. I learned to intercede for those I love and for those God lays on my heart. Her prayers helped me to grow in my faith and walk with Christ. She even prayed for me to receive the gift of tongues, which is a powerful gift of the Holy Spirit that helps us to release things from our hearts that are too deep for words. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us as we pray, and He gives us great joy. This experience helped me to receive the love of God and His joy.

In 2021, I began to consider how I could further illustrate the concept of flying. God highlighted

the eagle to me a few times one week in conversation. I meditated on Isaiah 40:31 about soaring on wings like eagles, and I envisioned showing children flying on the wings of an eagle. Then, I asked my friend, Crystal, if I could include her children in the book, and she kindly agreed and sent me a few pictures that inspired the final pages in my book that accompany the focus verse Isaiah 40:31 and the song “I’m Flying on Wings”/ “Vuelo en Alas.”

“but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.”

-Isaiah 40:31

I pray that this devotional builds your faith and helps you and your children to soar high together in the Spirit in worship and prayer to God. He is so good! May He give you hope, renew your strength and give you joy that feels like soaring high on the wings of an eagle!