When I set out to write Almost Paradise, I didn’t have a quote for the cover in mind like I did for Infernal Fall. Harder to Fly than to Fall came to me while writing the novel. I love it because it’s proverbial. It’s a simple and true thing to say. Now, I’m not clever enough to come up with this on my own, out of the blue, (or am I? )so I figured I had heard it somewhere before, but when I tried to find where this came from, I came up short. The closest thing I found was how easy it was to become a pilot.
While I can’t pinpoint exactly where this saying came from, I’m certain that it came to me from God. You see, I write with God in mind (My God is the Christian God in case anyone is wondering). God is everything to me and I want my work to be acceptable in His sight. So, when I sit and write, I consider not only what I think would be a good story, I consider the story that God wants others to hear. Stories are full of messages and the message that stood out to me in Infernal Fall and Almost Paradise is that it’s easy to fall into temptation. Only takes a teeny, tiny thought to sin. To fall, in this sense, is to fall spiritually, of course.
What about flying, then? To me, it is a time when there’s a closer-than-usual connection with God going on. In these moments I feel such a strong connection with God that it’s all I can think about, it’s all I can cope with and want for a time. Never do I feel more alive than when I feel this connection. It’s crazy cool. I wish it would happened as often as I felt tempted. Sometimes it hits me out of nowhere; sometimes it sneaks up on me.
Seems like a good time to mention one of these moments.
The first one that comes to mind occurred while I was driving to a university for a day full of classes (I know, so exciting.) I had exams that day and I was running late. I needed to get into the left lane to make it to school on time but a long line of traffic refused, flat out refused to let me over (I’m not the kind of driver to force myself in front of another. See, I am a gentleman!) I tried to slow down and was tailgated and honked at. The other lane didn’t let up anyway. I tried speeding up and that didn’t work either. It was sooo frustrating. The opportunity to turn came and went and I was mad. Out of nowhere, a simple thought occurred to me. There’s another way. That little tidbit put me in the fog of the Holy Spirit for the rest of my day. Yeah, I could still get to school, taking other roads to get there, but that wasn’t the thing that hit me at my core. There was another way “to be”. I didn’t need to let frustration dictate who I was in that moment. I could have easily gone about my day being angry and upset with the world but I chose another way. Honestly, I can’t remember anything from the lessons I learned in class that day but I remembered what I learned in that moment and it sticks with me like nothing else.
There are several of these stories from my life where I felt this strong connection with God. Those are the moments when I fly. Those moments are like paradise. But in this world what goes up must come down (apparently). I eventually returned to Earth. I eventually found myself tempted again. So, it’s harder to fly than to fall but I like to think the reason why is because flying is a special thing. Those moments are moments to remember, to savor, and to share with others. Maybe by doing so, the world can be filled more with the Holy Spirit. In a way, as I write this, I’m feeling the presence. I hope you do, too. And if you do feel it, then by all means share this with someone who you think needs this message now. Don’t hide your light under a bushel. Share it with the world. And share the flights you’ve taken with God.
Stay tuned folks. I have fun things in store. Until next time, fly safe! If you’d like to subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Goodreads or social media search my name and/or novels and I bet you’ll find me.