The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15
When daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped out of his space capsule from 128,100 feet on October 14, 2012, he was attempting to set a world record. He ended up setting more than one. He set the altitude record for manned balloon flight; he broke the record for a parachute jump from the highest altitude; and he set the record for the greatest freefall velocity (843 mph), which allowed him to become the first person to ever break the sound barrier without a vehicle. The whole jump took over four years of planning, and there were many things that greatly concerned his coordinators. One of their fears was realized when he went into a dangerous free spin, called “the death spin,” for over fifty-five seconds during the freefall stage of his jump. It is called the death spin because at that speed, many jumpers are never able to get out of it. The body starts spinning so fast that all the blood rushes to the head and feet, which literally causes the head to explode. Baumgartner was able to maneuver out of the death spin, pull his parachute, and float safely to the ground.
Many Christian young people aren’t so fortunate when they allow their lives to spin out of control after they graduate from high school. The feeling of freedom that engulfs many recent graduates leaves them with the perception that they can do anything they want to do, whether it is right or not. They are filled, in some cases, with pent-up feelings of rebellion, anger, fear of the unknown, or any number of other things that finally spill out when they feel like they are free. They start spinning head-over-heels unrepressed, and many of them are never able to regain control, “pull the parachute,” and land safely on their feet. What started out in the innocence of finally reaching a maturity milestone turned into a disaster from which they never recover.
It is possible to be free without freefalling. To experience the feelings of freedom without regret, you must begin the planning stages well before graduation day. All the advice, all the counsel, and all the teaching is preparing you for your leap into the “real world.” Your parents and leaders have been where you are going, and they know what you will need to be ready. Don’t fight their help, embrace it! Don’t become another sad statistic of a teenager with so much potential that went into the spiritual death spin from which he was never able to recover.
Read also: Proverbs 15:20-22
Quote of the day: "Keep your head and heart going in the right direction, and you’ll not have to worry about your feet.”
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