I read an old news report recently in the Internet files of the Los Angeles Times covering an event that took place in July of 1982. A 33-year-old single truck driver named Larry Walters was arrested for an unusual flight he took over the city. It seems that Larry had always dreamed of flying and had even joined the Air Force to pursue his dream.  However, his eyesight disqualified him from flying. Years later, at 33, he again pursued his dream in an unorthodox fashion. He purchased 45 large helium weather balloons from the Army/Navy store, tied them to an aluminum lawn chair, strapped on a parachute, took a CB Radio, some food and drink, and a pellet gun to pop some balloons so he could come down.  Some friends then cut the tether holding the chair to his car bumper!            

Larry thought he would float just above his neighborhood. He was shocked however when his over-inflated lawn chair shot up to 16,000 feet into the approach course to the Los Angeles International Airport!  Both Delta and TWA pilots sighted him as they came out of the clouds, sitting there in his lawn chair! Can you imagine those flight crews trying to explain a flying lawn chair to the Airport Radar Controllers? Larry drifted out over the ocean and then back over land and finally popped out a few balloons so he could descend.  Just as he was landing, the tether lines got caught on the high voltage lines near Long Beach, CA., sending part of the city into a 20 minute blackout!            

As Larry was arrested a reporter asked him, “Why did you do it?”  Larry said a profound thing. He said, “A man can’t just sit there!” Truth be known, there are untold numbers of people who are just sitting there; not pursuing the God-given dream inside of them. Many are trapped inside walls that they built themselves. Maybe you are one of them. If you are a Christian you need to remember that dream pursuing begins with the first step, found in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” I encourage you to stop sitting there and use the steps below to pursue your dreams. 

Common Sense Application  

1.  Write down that dreams you have always had but have not seriously pursued. At your age it may seem wild and crazy when you see it in writing but write it anyway. Your dream may be a career or a place or financial success or have to do with family or relationships.   

2.  Share your dream with trusted friends and others whose opinions you respect. Don’t be reluctant to get advice and allow others to hold you accountable as you make your plans. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

3.  Write down every action you must do to make your dreams come true. Maybe you need to get out of debt. Maybe you need to start or stop something in your life. For each action, list the things that must be accomplished.  Leave a blank to check when you accomplish each of them.

4.  Don’t be like most people, satisfied to just sit there! Pursue your dream!  Psalm 20:4 says, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”