Flying Too Close to the Sun Friday night several of us went to hear a couple of very gifted singers - Delbert McClinton and Johnny Rivers. It was a fantastic show! As I was driving away I thought, Some people are just special. They have such God given talent its unreal. They not only have this talent but theyve realized it, embraced it, and made it their lifes work. Ive had the privilege of seeing many, many gifted performers in my life. The list is almost endless. As I drove I thought of the age of the audience I had just witnessed. The median age was probably in their fiftys. These talented singers still had their audience, their followers, those that appreciate their talent and gifts. Those that are very special, that have the gift, seem to have a life cycle of popularity that diminishes as time goes by. Only a very select few manage to stay on top and endure and cross the age barrier. Elvis was such a performer. I very vividly remember setting in the audience in Shreveport during one of his concerts. My special Lynda was by my side, my beautiful young daughter Kim on the other. Just past Kim was a very senior lady. I forget what song Elvis was performing and it matters not. What was important was three totally different generations were totally spell bound and caught up in the glory of the music. I thought, Heres why he is the king. He surpasses time constraints. He flies so high he almost touches the sun. Ive met and known other gifted performers in all walks of life. The ones that endured remembered why they were on top. Its not about them personally. Its about the gift they possess. For singers and musicians, its about the music. Elvis was a perfectionist with his music. He would not release anything he felt did not meet his standards of perfection. First and foremost was his music. His God given talent to be the very best. I thought of all the others Ive known that came on the scene, caught hold of glory, shot skyward and later burst into flames. I thought of the preachers, evangelists, and lay people Ive known that disappeared. Perhaps, they flew too close to the sun. I think sometimes when you are one of the chosen ones that has a gift so profound it almost defies mortality; the public eye, the popularity, the exposure becomes overwhelming. The scrutiny is ever present. Because you have much; much is expected. Some loose focus of the gift and become I oriented. The publicity, following, exposure, fans, life-style become too great, too tempting.The fact youre atop the mountain makes you much more visible. Something happens. Something changes. You get so high, the people down below can see you but can no longer reach you. Elvis flew too close to the sun and crashed. I have no doubt he loved God. I cannot believe when I hear him do a spiritual number that God is not foremost in his heart. His life, his seclusion, he simply got so high none of us could follow or reach him. Ive done my time in the world of racing. There is a tactic known as drafting. This means when on a track two or more cars are running in single file formation taking advantage of the first car breaking the wind turbulence. They literally are flying at break neck speeds inches apart, bumper to bumper. Collectively, they maintain greater speed than running solo. It also means if youre running behind the front runner your visibility is not as great. Youre more susceptible if the front runner looses position or slides, or wrecks. Why? Because you are running so close to them you can easily become caught up in any error the front runner makes. You can only see the back of the front runner. Youre racing forward on limited visibility faith totally dependent upon the lead car. What does any of this have to do with you? A lot. Each of us has a God given talent. Its there. You may or may not have found it. You may or may not realize it. You may or may not follow it. Yet, its there. Each of us have had experiences where nothing else will explain a victory weve had in our lives. It may be medical related (as some of mine are), close encounters with death (as many of mine are), finding the true love of your life (as I have), praying for your family and friends and trusting God will protect them and intervene in their lives. For many years I believed God would always inject himself personally into any given situation seeming beyond all hope. Often, He does. Often he does not. Sometimes, God intends us to be the intervening force. Sometimes, even a total stranger. You see, each of us have someone drafting us in this race to Glory. You may not realize it. You may not be aware of it. But, theyre there. Watching you, following you, running but inches off your bumper. If you make a mistake they are prone to make it with you. If you fly so close to the sun they cannot possibly follow, or if you communicate one action on your race radio - yet drive another - the draft is disrupted. The people running in your wake, in your draft may be friends, relatives, loved ones, or total strangers. Theyre right there behind you running wide open trying to run with you. You have the gift they covet. You know God as your deliverer. But, if your flight goes too high, too close to the sun, and you catch afire, they go down with you. It is incredibly important to realize you can run together smoothly when all are in line, one behind the other, racing toward the checkered flag together. If one car gets out of formation and breaks the draft he begins to fall back. To loose pace. Its almost impossible for him to catch up again. I finally realized many years ago, life is not about me. God does not always miraculously intervene. Sometimes were expected to be the intervention. If were running the lead car, or leading the flight formation - its our task to navigate the apexes in life, the dangerous curves, our duty to make sure we dont fly so close to the sun we catch afire and crash to the ground taking others with us. For many years I did not understand this. I had crossed over to what is called the I syndrome. I lost focus for some years in my life. Life was not about me. It is not about you. Its not about self glorification. That is not even important. Were but the lead car in the draft train. Its up to us to run a smooth, clean race to Glory. I lost it for a while on one of the dangerous curves and the person running draft right behind me went off course and never recovered. Dont let that happen in your life. Dont forget that love, talent, the gifts God has given you; that family, friends and relatives, and sometimes strangers are drafting you. I have no doubt someone I loved dearly was drafting me, watching me closely, running but inches off my bumper - she could not see the straightaway because I was running lead, blocking the view when she crashed. I had taken her too close to the sun. That is a heavy burden to bear but a lesson to take to heart and never repeat. Make it your commitment to take your draftees to the right Son. Run a good, smooth race to the finish, it matters not who crosses first but that you get there and no one get lost along the way thats in your draft train. God speed.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:15:14 +0000
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