Thoughts while Traveling
8.02.2004
"You can fly.
Why are swings so incredibly delightful? Personally, I spent hours on swings as a child and would still enjoy swings if they hadn’t started making the seats so small.
Remember the day of enlightenment when you suddenly realized you did not have to wait to be pushed to swing, that you could propel yourself through the air by pumping your legs—ahh, what freedom!
My day of enlightenment was followed rather quickly by a day of disillusionment. The hollow metal swing sets of old would start to jump if you went too high. Some kids weren’t bothered by the jumping. This kid was certain the jumping was a solemn summons to explore the slide.
Now swing sets are riveted to the foundations of the earth and immovable except by a herd of elephants with poison ivy.
Our playscape—as jumbo swing sets are now called—came in several boxes ready for assembly by any old Ph.D. in engineering. Our children love it.
Our son loves the ropes, the slide, the bars, the clubhouse, the merry-go-round…but his first playscape love is still the swings.
Swings give one the feeling of weightlessness—for a few moments you press the laws of gravity. For a few moments you can fly.
Dreams do much the same thing. As we dream we press past the confines of what is and what has been. As our minds dare to see the unseen, our imagination fuels our faith and we begin to trust God for something more.
Some folks became afraid to dream years ago. Dreaming was dangerous because life was unanchored.
But God is not like the hollow swing sets of old. He is immovable. Connected to Him, it is safe to dream.
So dream away. Dare to do the undone, to see the unseen. Anchored safely to God, fly in your faith. And know that Father God smiles over the dreams of His children."
-Alicia Britt-Cole
Why are swings so incredibly delightful? Personally, I spent hours on swings as a child and would still enjoy swings if they hadn’t started making the seats so small.
Remember the day of enlightenment when you suddenly realized you did not have to wait to be pushed to swing, that you could propel yourself through the air by pumping your legs—ahh, what freedom!
My day of enlightenment was followed rather quickly by a day of disillusionment. The hollow metal swing sets of old would start to jump if you went too high. Some kids weren’t bothered by the jumping. This kid was certain the jumping was a solemn summons to explore the slide.
Now swing sets are riveted to the foundations of the earth and immovable except by a herd of elephants with poison ivy.
Our playscape—as jumbo swing sets are now called—came in several boxes ready for assembly by any old Ph.D. in engineering. Our children love it.
Our son loves the ropes, the slide, the bars, the clubhouse, the merry-go-round…but his first playscape love is still the swings.
Swings give one the feeling of weightlessness—for a few moments you press the laws of gravity. For a few moments you can fly.
Dreams do much the same thing. As we dream we press past the confines of what is and what has been. As our minds dare to see the unseen, our imagination fuels our faith and we begin to trust God for something more.
Some folks became afraid to dream years ago. Dreaming was dangerous because life was unanchored.
But God is not like the hollow swing sets of old. He is immovable. Connected to Him, it is safe to dream.
So dream away. Dare to do the undone, to see the unseen. Anchored safely to God, fly in your faith. And know that Father God smiles over the dreams of His children."
-Alicia Britt-Cole
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