I've known "Alan" since
he was in grade school. My older daughter
and he were classmates and he was a
chiropractic patient for his asthma.
Even at that young age,
Alan wanted to be a jet pilot. He was
afraid that his asthma would prevent that
but, over time, his breathing became normal
and he pursued his dream. He became a
Golden Knight, an elite parachute jumper and
excelled in the service.
Last year, at age 23,
he was finally accepted into jet pilot
training. What's more, he married the woman
of his dreams.
He was flying high.
Last autumn, Alan was
home on leave before starting pilot
training. He went parachuting, no big deal
for a guy who has jumped hundreds and
hundreds of times.
Everything was going
smoothly as he approached the ground but
then something went horribly wrong. Maybe a
cross-wind or a down draft. Alan hit the
ground while going 45 miles per hour. The
other jumpers thought he was dead.
He nearly was.
He broke many bones,
ruptured his aorta, and was in a coma. Many
surgeries and 7 months later, he can walk a
little. Walking just fifty feet feels like
running a marathon. His bowels and bladder
still
don't function right.
His legs are shriveled and his body is
covered with long scars. His low back and
pelvis are filled with metal screws and
plates.
Becoming a jet pilot is
no longer an option. He only gets to see
his wife once every month or two because she
is also in the service and he is at home.
A tough situation for
anyone, especially a young man whose dreams
came crashing down.
Have your dreams ever
been suddenly dashed by unexpected twists
and turns along the road of life?
While visiting him, I
was astounded at his spirit. He was
thankful to be alive. He's looking at his
career options and is considering law
school.
He's grateful for the occasional visit with
his wife and examining how they can live
closer to each other. He's acutely aware of
how blessed and beloved he is by God.
When he was almost
dead, he had a near-death experience and was
visited by a friend who died several months
before his accident. That's part of the
reason why Alan is handling such tremendous
adversity so well.
He's flying high now
although in a different way than he
planned. That's what we're supposed to do
when confronted by plan B, or C, or Z.
I left Alan feeling
very inspired and impressed. What a
tremendous example
of how brightly a soul
can shine despite difficult times.
May we all focus on the
positives, even amidst tough times. May we
always remember our unstoppable soul natures
and let our inner light shine brightly, even
during life's darkest hours.
May we, like Alan, fly
high through life--no matter what the winds
of change may bring.
