Kris and Kell woke up the morning after their great adventure on the Royal Gorge Ziplines in Colorado and wondered what they were supposed to do next. While they were eating breakfast in the hotel’s dining area, a person came up to the table to talk to them. This woman was dressed strangely! She was dressed like an old-time aviator (a person who flies airplanes). She was wearing a leather helmet, wool jacket, big goggles, and a large scarf around her neck. She said, “Misadventures….Plus has arranged for you to have a private flight from Colorado to North Carolina. We will leave from the airport in one hour!”
Kris and Kell were so excited! They imagined the special treatments and comforts they would have on a private jet! They could almost taste the special food they would eat and feel those comfortable seats! When they got to the airport, they were shocked! They could not believe their eyes! They were not going to fly on a private jet, they were going to fly on an old, restored passenger plane
This plane was a Douglas DC-3 airplane built in 1937! It was being flown to the east coast for an airshow! Kris and Kell got on the plane, and they almost fell down the aisle because when the plane is on the ground it slopes steeply towards the back of the plane.
Once they got in their seats and fastened their seat belts, the pilots started the engines. There was one engine on each wing, and they were not jet engines, they were old engines with propellers! When each engine started, a cloud of smoke came out of the engine, and Kell screamed because she thought the plane was about to catch on fire, but the flight attendant told them that this was normal. The engines were very loud, and the whole plane vibrated when the engines were running!
Once the plane was in the air, they had a surprisingly smooth ride, the old airplane still flew like a champion. The flight attendant gave them some sandwiches to eat, but there was no fancy food like there would be on a private jet. The trip took a long time because this old plane could not fly as fast as a modern jet, and they had to stop for fuel several times. The plane also could not fly as high as modern jets, so they got to see the land below them in much more detail!
Finally, they got to North Carolina, and they landed close to the place where the Wright Brothers flew their first powered airplane in 1903! Kris and Kell were stiff and sore after that long flight, and they were glad to be back on the ground!
That night while they were in their hotel room, there was a knock on the door. Kris opened the door, and there was their pilot from the old airplane. She handed Kris an envelope and then left. Kell grabbed the envelope and tore it open. There was a note inside that said, “Tomorrow you have reservations to fly in a replica of the Wright Brothers glider that they built in 1902. Go to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in the morning!”
Kell looked up the park on her tablet and found that it was just a few miles from their hotel, very close to where the Wright Brothers flew their first plane. Kris asked, “Why did the note say we were going to be flying in a glider, the Wright Brothers had a motor in their airplane.” This was a great question, so Kell looked up some information on her tablet.
Kell learned some very interesting things and some scary things! She learned that the Wright Brothers spent several years designing and learning how to fly a glider before they tried to put a motor on their first airplane. She also learned that the gliders crashed often! Some people estimate that they crashed around 700 times before they eventually learned how to design an airplane that would fly!
Kris said, “Flying in an exact duplicate of one of their gliders does not seem very safe! They had 700 crashes before they succeeded in flying safely!”
The next morning Kris and Kell went to the State Park with much fear and trembling! They were not sure if they wanted to go on this adventure at all! When they got there, they were surprised at how windy it was. Their instructors said that this area almost always has a lot of wind, that is why the Wright Brothers chose this area for their glider experiments and for their first airplane flight! The instructors then told the Kris and Kell that they would be riding on an exact duplicate of the Wright Brothers 1902 glider, but they would be flying it like a kite. Workers on the ground would be hanging onto ropes attached to the glider so that they could keep it safe!
Kris and Kell were given safety equipment to wear and then after the instructions were finished, they went out to the glider. The glider looked a lot like an early airplane except that it did not have a motor.
Kell went first! She had to lay on the glider while it flew. The helpers held onto the ropes and did not let the glider go more than 15 feet off the ground. After the glider flew for about 50 yards, the helpers brought the glider down for a safe landing. Kris and Kell each got to take five of these short flights on the glider. Kris asked, “Why don’t you let us go higher or go farther?” The helpers told him that the Wright Brothers took short flights just like this to learn how to control the gliders and learn how to make improvements to the gliders so that they flew better. The only difference was that the Wright Brothers did not have helpers on the ground holding onto them with ropes, and they usually did not land safely, they usually crashed back down onto the ground! They were truly risking their lives every time they took a flight!
This had been a truly incredible adventure! Kris and Kell had never thought about how dangerous it had been to develop the first airplane! They were glad that they had gotten to fly across the country on the old DC-3 and then gotten to fly on a replica of a Wright Brothers glider!
Lesson Learned about God
After their flights were finished, Kris and Kell went to the beach, sat on the sand, and enjoyed the wind and the crashing waves. They spent some time talking about what they could learn about God from this adventure.
Kris said, “I would not have wanted to fly on that glider if the helpers had not been there holding onto the ropes and controlling the flight.”
Kell agreed, “Yes, the helpers guided the flight of the glider and kept us safe. This reminds me of how God has promised to guide and protect Believers as they go through this life on earth.
In the Bible in Psalms 23:3,4 it says:
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
In the Bible in Psalms 37:23-24 it says:
The Lord directs the steps of the Godly (Believers). He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
In the Bible in Isaiah 41:10 God says:
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
We have these great promised from God Himself that He will always guide and protect those who believe and have asked Jesus into their life. Believers do not have to go through life being fearful! God is watching out for us!
If you have never asked Jesus into your heart, it is not complicated. You need to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay for the sins of the world, and you need to pray and ask for forgiveness and ask Him to come into your life and take over.
Report to the grandmother:
- At the travel agency – God has a good plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11
- Florida – God is watching over us, we do not need to be fearful. Psalms 23
- Wisconsin – Temptations. I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 14:12, I John 1:9
- Minnesota – Never take your eyes off Jesus. Matthew 14:22-33
- Kentucky – God’s Word (the Bible) is the truth! John 17:17
- Louisianna – Choose Heaven and the Tree of Life. Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:27 thru 22:5
- Illinois – God is in control. Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28-30, Proverbs 16:9
- New Mexico – God is our place of safety. Psalms 46:1-3, Psalms 91:1-2, Psalms 18:1-2, John 14:1-3
- Alabama – Training for heaven. I Peter 1:18-21, I John 3:2-3, Ephesians 5:1-2, I Peter 2:21, II Timothy 4:6-8
- Georgia – Sin erodes a person’s life and brings death. Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 3:22-25a
- Texas – Jesus offers abundant life. John 10:10, Mark 12:29-31.
- Kansas – Humans are filled with hatred and evil. Genesis 8:21-22, Romans 3:21-25a.
- South Carolina – Reminder of the Crucifixion. Isaiah 53:3-9
- Arkansas – Jesus is Crowned with Glory and Honor. Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 19:16, John 11:25-26
- Idaho – Times of Refreshing. Acts 3:19-20a, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:28-31
- Washington State – Obeying God is Important! James 1:22-25, James 4:17
- Oregon – Do not let your first love for Jesus erode. Revelation 2:4-5a, Psalms 51:10-12
- Ohio – We are secure in God’s hands. Isaiah 41:13, Psalms 139:9-10, Psalms 73:23-28.
- Iowa – God is in control: Past, Present, & Future. Hebrews 13:8, Revelation 4:8.
- South Dakota – Believers are the family of God. Ephesians 2:19-21, John 1:12-13, Ephesians 1:5, I Thessalonians 5:15-18.
- Indiana – Win the Race! I Corinthians 9:24-27, Matthew 25:21
- Michigan – Cost of following Jesus. Luke 14:27-33.
- Missouri – The Book of Life. Revelation 20:11-15.
- New Jersey – The Light of the World. Philippians 2:14-15, Matthew 5:14-16.
- New York – God will meet our needs. Philippians 4:19-20.
- Pennsylvania – A special place and rest in heaven. John 14:1-3, Hebrews 4:9-10
- Montana – Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. John 15:5
- Alaska – Jesus is the light of the world. John 1:4-5, John 8:12, Revelation 21:23-27, Revelation 22:5
- Maine – God’s Holy Spirit is like the wind: invisible, powerful and always working! John 3:8, Acts 1:8, John 14:26, Romans 8:26-27
- Massachusetts – God is preparing a special place for each believer. John 14:1-3.
- Maryland/Virginia – Perfect love overcomes fear. I John 4:17-19.
- Washington DC – Communion. I Corinthians 11:23-26.
- Virginia/West Virginia – Baptism. Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12-15.
- Delaware – Jesus is returning. John 14:2-3, I Thessalonians 4:16-18, I Corinthians 15:51-53
- Rhode Island – Believers are like a lighthouse. Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:14-15.
- North Dakota – Dealing with temptations. I Corinthians 10:13, James 1:13-15.
- Colorado – Faith and Trust. Hebrews 11:1-2, Proverbs 3:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-9.
- North Carolina – God guides and protects Believers. Psalms 23:3-4, Psalms 37:23-24, Isaiah 41:10.