Dreams Taking Flight

I almost literally bumped into a member of the congregation in a gardening centre a few days ago. He told me with a chuckle that he was still recovering from a demanding and wonderful 24 hours during which he flew to Florida and back with a plane full of enthusiastic children. He had participated in the Dreams Take Flight program which takes kids from disadvantaged homes or who live with physical and mental disabilities to Disney World.

He described flying down as a surreal experience with the pilot participating in a goofy conga line with the children. Newspaper reports mention a pillow fight on one of the planes.

This is a "feel good" story in just about every direction. The children have an experience of a lifetime which probably couldn't happen any other way for the majority. And kudos to Air Canada for initiating this program.

I think great credit should go to the volunteers who were a part of the day. Our member is retired from teaching and could be forgiven for never wanting to be an enclosed space with children again. Sadly, I know retired teachers who take that approach. Instead he has embraced community service in a number of ways to fill many of his days.

I have borrowed the phrase "Golden Rule Christians" to describe the ethos of St. Paul's. We have an impressive number of people who take a "do unto others" approach to their Christian faith which connects their hearts with their hands and feet in the broader community. Bowmanville and the world would be an even better place with more like them.