The Aviator's Devotional
- 31 Daily Inspirational Readings For Those Who Fly
Author: Terry Thompson
Hard Cover, 133+ pages, Copyright 2006
Dimensions: 5.67 x 8.78 x 0.55 inches
(144 x 223 x 14 mm)
Table of Contents
#1
Table of Contents
#2
Table of Contents
#3
Introduction #1
Introduction #2
Page 1 of Day 1
Back
CoverThose of us who have
followed our dream to fly have joined a special fraternity of aviators.
Pilots and other airmen have a passion for adventure and a perspective
on life that others can't fully understand.
Our romance with the skies is a microcosm of life itself and helps us
celebrate the joys and cope with the challenges of each day. We can
appreciate the creation and honor the Creator from a viewpoint not
available to others.
This devotional book gives you 31 short, but meaningful, readings (one
for each day of the month) that provide rich moments of meditation on
the greater things of life from the distinctive view of the aviator. It
will:
- Entertain you with unique insights
into the adventurous world of aviation.
- Enlighten you with flying facts and
trivia that you didn't know or had forgotten.
- Encourage you with Bible-based
inspirational perception regarding God's nature relative to our
needs.
Sample Page - Day 1
We who fly are blessed with a perception that few others have. We
have a rare escape from the confines of the world’s troubles and
pressures. We can rise above it all and view things from a vantage that
just seems to bring all concerns into perspective.
The journey of life often requires us to walk through deep valleys where
we get caught up in the pains and frustrations that are inevitable. We
become engulfed and entangled because we cannot see beyond the issues at
hand. We can soon lose our will to fight life’s recurring battles.
Several days after my first Air Force deployment overseas, I began
questioning my reasons for being there. I was feeling awfully homesick
for my family. Then, I was assigned a mission that took me across the
awesome Alps. What a take-your-breath-away sight! I was overwhelmed by
the blessing of living among the first generations of mankind to see
such wonder from high above the snow-capped, razor sharp peaks. It
awakened my spirit. My wife, Linda, and I flew over the grandiose scene
again just a few months before this writing. The ageless panorama never
ceases to renew my perspective of what life is all about.
Our view of the earth from the skies, high above the fray, is refreshing
and reminds us of the relative insignificance of our worries. We can see
our fate a little closer to the way God sees it. The majesty and glory
of God’s awesome creation—the beauty of His handiwork—helps us realize
that His plan for us is much bigger than our present strife. The moments
of feasting on the “big picture” view from thousands of feet in the air
are a gift from God to His special aviators. It is a healing opportunity
that has only been given to the last few generations. Even though we are
speeding along at 100 knots to 500 knots with constant crackle from the
radios, there is a stillness—a quietness—that sooths our souls as the
world passes by in slow motion.
We are allowed to see the sun rise before anyone else and the sun set
after everyone else, both unrestricted by the interferences of natural
and man-made obstructions. We see the horizons that no one else sees. A
thousand ponds and lakes, the tops of the mountains, the meanderings of
the rivers, the endless shades of greens and browns, all testify that
our troubles are so small compared to God’s greatness. Our release from
the bonds of earth to experience the expanse of our habitat simply
reminds us that we can overcome anything in partnership with the maker
of it all. We can do everything through the Lord who gives us strength
(Philippians 4:13).
The World War II Royal Canadian Air Force pilot John Gillespie Magee,
Jr. recognized this spiritual connection as he penned his famous poem,
High Flight:
“Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds—and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit
silence.
Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.”
No one else can touch the face of God and relate to Him in the
extraordinary way that has been reserved for the aviator. I believe God
wants us to use this unique advantage of flight to draw ourselves closer
to Him and to enjoy more of the true abundance of life that is ours.
The next time you are airborne, take a moment to just soak in the
indescribable scene in your windscreen. Then relate all that is there to
your cares and struggles. It will probably cause you to reassess your
worries, readjust your focus, and reenergize your efforts to work
through the difficulties. What a great God we serve!
…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
About the Author
Terry Thompson has been an aviator for over 40 years having earned his
private pilot certificate at age 17. Completing U.S. Air Force pilot
training in 1970, he flew T-37s and C-130s as a flight instructor. He
served in the Pentagon, then as Vice Commander at Little Rock Air Force
Base, Arkansas, and as Commander at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. He
retired with the rank of colonel.
With about 5,000 hours in his log book, he now flies regularly with the
Civil Air Patrol as a mission pilot in Cessna 172s and 182s including
the G1000 model.
During his career with the Air Force, Terry served in leadership
positions in numerous churches. After retirement, he continued following
God's plan for his life and became a pastor on the staff of a large
church where he is still active in various ministries.
His passion for flying is exceeded only by his passion for his Lord and
his family. He and his wife Linda have four children, Mike, Chris,
Holly, and Derick. Mike and Chris are pilots. Chris served in the Air
Force flying F-15Es.
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