The Flight

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The little plane bucked and bounced as it scrambled its way upward to a place above the clouds. After being on a large plane across the ocean, this one felt like a little boat on a big sea. The way the pilot handled the plane, it reminded me of a kid doing stunts, or riding on a go-cart track. Banking the plane first one way and then the other, he pointed the nose steeply towards the sky. It was not that bad and I actually kind of enjoyed the feeling. It was like the small plane could not wait to get to cruising altitude. 

We and several other friends met in Munich Germany and are on this little plane bound for Rzeszów Poland. Our final destination is in Ukraine.

I began to think about how we implicitly trust these pilots. Through the bumps we may feel a little disturbed, but by in large we just trust that he knows what he is doing. After all, he has been to school to learn to fly this thing and very likely has logged hours and hours of flight time to get his license. He has the ability to navigate this thing without being able to see the ground.  I suppose in one sense we do not have a choice but to trust. We cannot get out, and we cannot fly this thing, and we want to get to our destination. So, the most sensible thing is to sit back, relax, trust the pilot and enjoy the ride. Mostly that is what we do, even to the point of falling asleep.

Why is it that we do not trust the Lord in the same manner? He created us and everything around us, so why should I think I know how to manage things better than he can? Wouldn’t it be nice to have that same relaxed feeling through the storms of life as we do riding in an airplane? But no, we seem to need to struggle instead of sitting back and relaxing in his care. And then as a last resort, we let go and let God work things out.

Last Sunday the minister read out of Psalms forty-six for one of his readings. As I scanned the preceding verses, I came across the one that says: He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. (Psalms 46:9) I was struck by the fact that he is in control of wars, all I need to do is trust him. He who can stop a war surely would have the power to prevent bad things from happening to me even if I am close to a war zone. What a comfort to know that I can put my whole trust in the God I serve.

Our Christian lives are much like this plane. We know that we want to make heaven someday. And we know there is only one way to get there. We did not create the way, and we cannot get there alone. Our only hope is to turn our lives over to the plan that God has for us. He may have slightly different plans for each of his children, but the route is the same; it will take complicit trust in him. His ways are past finding out, and his blessings are abundant. I do not want this to sound like Christian life is a free ride. Some face tremendous tests and trials for which they have no answers. They may lose their health, or loved ones may be taken away without any explanation. The reason may only become clear in the great beyond. But the does not mean that the Lord is not looking after them. Many times, it is only in the looking back that we can see the keeping and guiding hand of the Lord. Until then we must trust the captain of our ship.

At the moment we are nearing our destination, and it turned out to be a good flight. We are going through the final preparations for landing. Are you also making preparations? Is your life in order with your sins stowed safely away, taken care of? The stewardess made their last pass through the cabin to make sure we are all prepared. Has the Holy Spirit made his last pass through your life to see if you are prepared? Landing is mandatory; we cannot stay in the air forever. Neither can we stay on this earth forever. Soon we will all land on the other shore. Will you have your passport and ticket? If so, it will be a happy reunion with our Lord and those gone before. If you are not prepared, you are landing anyway, and will reap the consequences.

As the wheels make their final touch down, it’s too late to change your destination. So long, farewell. Let’s make it safely to that place of peace and rest.