Get Him Back in the Air

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked. (Proverbs 24:13-19 ESV). One of my all-time favorite movies is Top Gun. The story details the lives of naval aviators. The central character, Maverick, goes through a difficult time and his commanding officer is concerned that he will never fly again. Perhaps you remember the scene when he tells another officer, concerning Maverick: “Get him back in the air!” It was his way of saying, don’t let his fear of loss overcome his potential for success. It reminded me of the importance of not quitting in life. When we believe in something, even when there are setbacks, we must press on. Here's a story that reminded me of that truth: Seven horses were entered in the Feast of St. Raymond Novices' Chase at Southwell, England. I don't know anything about "St. Raymond," but what happened that day may just qualify him as the Patron of Unlikely Victories. The favorite in the race was a horse named Family Business. Jockey Tony McCoy was in the saddle and set to ride him over the course to victory. Things went reasonably well until a mistake on the tenth of seventeen fences sent McCoy flying. He landed on the muddy ground, threw off his helmet in disgust, and started walking his horse off the course. Glancing up occasionally at the other horses and riders, he saw first one and then another slip on the wet turf. To make a long story short, not a single one of the original seven covered the course without tumbling. It looked more like bowling than steeplechase! "I started walking back toward the weighing room," said McCoy, "and there was one less standing every time I looked. I thought maybe I should get back up and see what happens." So, four minutes after being thrown, he got back on Family Business, re-jumped Fence 10, and completed the 3 1/16-mile course. Tony McCoy wound up the winning rider, although with an incredibly slow time. He was more than four minutes slower than the average time for races run on the same track. Resolve proved to be more important than speed that day. You may be facing some setback in your life today. Whatever it is, however difficult it may seem, get back in the air! Trust the Lord and turn to Him, He will see you through whatever challenges you are facing.