Maverick and Goose

One of my favorite movies is Top Gun. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. My dad took me to see it in the movie theater. I remember being gripped by the larger-than-life images of fighter jets and macho guys like Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer with their ever cool names, Maverick and Iceman. The opening scene of that film depicts Cougar another pilot getting spooked in a combat situation and turning in his wings. He was supposedly the best pilot on the aircraft carrier. His comments to his commanding officer are insightful to me lately. He said something to the effect of I'm holding on too tight. I've lost the edge. Those sentences have taken on new meaning to me lately.

Don't we do that sometimes? Hold on too tight that is. We just honored 22 high school graduates at FBC Statesboro this Sunday. The danger for parents is always holding on too tight to their children. The role of parent is to nurture, encourage and support their child, but sometimes that support can become stifling. When we hold on so tight that they rebel or it pushes them away from us. Today, as Claire was climbing up the jungle gym at Mill Creek I realized that if I hold on too tight to these precious, younger years that I will miss the ones to come as she grows and develops. That isn't to say that we shouldn't enjoy each stage of development in our children, but if we are clinging too much to that one stage then we neglect the ones that are coming so rapidly at them and us. I realize that before I can blink my eyes twice Claire and Charlotte will be high school graduates, still I can't help but think that God has incredible things in store for them.

Doesn't that scene from Top Gun remind you that there are relationships that we can hold onto too tightly? Maybe a friendship that grows and changes and eventually the things that you held in common and that brought you together are no longer there. The danger is to hold on too tightly to how it was (certainly remember and treasure those memories) that we no longer can hold onto the edge. I'm learning in my own life what that looks like. It's not easy though. It's difficult to let your daughter climb the rings of the jungle gym with the possibility that she might fall flat on her face, bust her head open, get a leg caught, or break an arm, however that is the tension that must be there as my girls grow and mature. It must be there in friendships and relationships. It must be present in our faith as well. If all we can hold on to is the moment we became a believer in Christ and the first few weeks after that, then our faith has stagnated and soured, we have lost the edge because we failed to continue to grow in our relationship with Almighty God.

Relaxing my grip is not easy, but it is so necessary!