Zipping!

"Zipping!"

"Zip On!"

And, with a prayer and a moment that stretched into seconds... I lifted my feet and started down the cable.

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - went the high pitched sound of metal wheels on a metal cable as I zipped from the stand 20 feet off the ground to one about 50 feet away that was lower.

Before they took all eight of us up the first ladder where Sara (in pink) took our carabiner that was attached to the harness around our waist and clicked it onto the cable firmly attached to the tree - we had "Ground School."

Each of us were taken up a short distance (maybe 6 feet) and shown how we would be connected to the line; how to hold our hands; and how to apply the brakes so we didn't face plant into the tree at the other end.

"Put your left hand on the mechanism, your right hand on top of it.  Then when you get close to the landing stand, put the right hand (with the protective leather) on the cable to slow down."

OK, sound simple enough.

Why am I up here again?

The Zip Line is kind of a "bucket list" sort of thing and the DC Adventure Center staff at the new Rowley's Bay zip line were just the crew to help eight 'Zip Line virgins,' get past the fear and enjoy the feeling and freedom of flying from one tree to another.

Sara and her brother were our guides for the one hour adventure and calmly answered questions; adjusted harnesses; and explained how we could do this.  A delightful young old girl, Abby, proved to be a good coach too.  She fearlessly approached the challenge - a signal us more "experienced" folks to enjoy it.

I was last one up to the first stand, which I discovered made me the first one to go down the line.

The advantage, I guess, is there wasn't much time to second guess the decision.  I was hooked to the line and our protocol was to proclaim, "Zipping!"  The rest of the crew responds loudly, "Zip On!"

In the couple of seconds after that there was a short prayer a look down the line (above) and with that I was off.  After two seconds it felt great and exhilarating as I went down the line.

A few second later, I was coming up on the platform and "applied" my hand brake.  I felt great and as if I had overcome a fear while facing down the unknown.  I have lots of irrational fears, always have, and when one can be taken off the list - it is an incredible freedom.

I couldn't wait for the next one and quickly wished there were more stairs to climb and more line to zip down.

The breeze in my face.  The tree-lined path on either side of me.  It made for a Robin Hood adventure of the grandest scale, but with heavy gloves instead of grape vines to make it from tree to tree.

I have no plan to jump out of a perfectly good airplane any time soon, and many things continue to make me nervous (for no good reason)... but for about an hour on a beautiful July morning in the woods near Lake Michigan on Wisconsin's peninsula... it was great to experience only a single tethered flight from place to place.

After those first few seconds, I knew I could trust the cable to hold me and carry me from place to place.  The fear was gone.

It's an example of our lives - when we know that we are tethered to a Savior that will not let us go - we can move through life with the freedom that comes through faith in Him.  An experience made possible when He connected us to His lifeline.

Zipping!

Zip On!!