"Lord, I wish I could just walk away from this mess and never see or deal with it again!" How many of you have headed for bed with this cry on your lips? At one time or another, the "fly away" bug hits us all.

Mothers shut in with their children all day, businessmen trapped in the pressures of making crucial decisions, and fathers working two jobs so that their families can survive are among those who wish they could run away at times and never come back.

But, at the same time, you may feel guilty about your "escape dreams," but you needn't. Even David dreamed of escape when he sang to the Lord: "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest - I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm" (Psalm 55:6-8, NIV).

The important factor is that after his fantasy was over, David returned to reality and took active steps to resolve the dilemma which made him want to "fly away" in the first place. He didn't "desert the ship." David decided to cast the whole depressing situation on the Lord. He concluded his song by saying, "I trust in you" (verse 2). If you're in a "fly away" mood, don't do anything foolish! Don't physically run away. Go to the Lord instead. Give up the burden to Him first. It's hard to fly like a dove with a weight around your neck!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the "escape hatch" of my imagination but don't let me misuse it when I want to "fly away." Teach me to cast every care on You, so that in the power of Your Spirit, I can indeed fly like a dove to You for refreshment, comfort and release. In Jesus' Name, Amen.