There he was, a heavily suited man with two jet engines strapped to his feet, soaring gracefully over the water. You may think that this scene must come from a science fiction flick, but it actually was a real new story reporting a real-life event—the first man to fly across the English Channel wearing a jetpack. The aviator’s name was Frank Zapata. The jet packs were attached to his feet, literally making him look like a he had rocket shoes. Even though he had to make a refueling stop in the middle of the journey, he still traveled across the 22 miles of the English Channel in just over 22 minutes (Gwenfoud). Sometimes the most out-of-this-world dreams can turn out to be real. This is probably what was going through the mind of Samuel as the truth hit home one night while he was lying in bed. I Samuel 3:10-12 says, “The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end.” At a very young age, Samuel had an experience with God that would set the tone of the rest of his life. We often verbally express our faith in God’s power, but do we really stake our future on it. How much are we leaning on God? Are we so careful that we don’t make enough room in our lives for adventures with God? I’m not advocating presumption or imprudence, but we can all learn to lean more heavily on God, especially when we’re faced with unexpected adventures or surprising opportunities. Sometimes, in order to soar with God, we have to take an unexpected leap.
Gwenfoud, Ibtessim. “French ‘bird-man’ Franky Zapata successfully crosses English Channel on flyboard.” ABC News Online. 4 August 2019. Accessed September 5, 2019.