On this day in 1871, Orville Wright was born.

The Wright brothers were right!

You’ve heard of Orville and Wilbur, right? They were the first people to successfully fly and control an aircraft with a motor. In other words, they invented the airplane.

Ever since the first human beings watched birds flap, rise, glide, and soar, they have yearned to fly. And through the years many tried in some very unusual ways, usually involving homemade wings strapped to the back. Those attempts ended in failure, often in disaster. So when Orville and Wilbur mentioned their desire to fly their friends probably thought, “Yeah right! Like that’ll ever happen!” And then, when the brothers built the airplane the critics must have said, “It’ll never fly!”

But it did, and now we have props and jets and supersonics and ultra-lights and rocket ships and space shuttles. Think of the impact that the Wright brothers made on the world.

Maybe you have a dream. It could be an invention, but it might be a vision of your future, career, or calling. Perhaps it’s a personal goal or even an idea for changing society. And maybe you’ve shared your dream with others who have put it down with comments like, “It’ll never fly!”

Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. God wants us to think big for him. Way back in 1792, William Carey, a great missionary pioneer, said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” What a great philosophy of life!

So keep your vision, trust God, and work hard to make it happen. And maybe some day you’ll be famous like the Wrights, and we’ll write about you—right?

Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18, King James Version).

To Do

On a piece of paper, finish these sentences. “If I could be anything, I would ________________.” “If I could do anything, I would __________________.” “If I could change anything, I would ________________.” Ask God to show you steps to take to fulfill those dreams.

Also on this day . . .

1909—The first race was held at Indianapolis Speedway.

1946—Bill (William Jefferson) Clinton, the 42^nd President of the United States, was born.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).