Well, this week was huge in Bekahland. Most of you know that I went on vacation and in fact – flew for the first time. If you are one of the ones who didn’t know that, I’ll give you just a moment to reattach your jaw. I know, I know. Bekah flew? Shocking.
I flew out to Kansas to watch my niece play volleyball. She is a junior in high school and this was the first time I’ve ever been able to watch her play any sport. It was a great time – she played three matches (or whatever they’re called) in one night and won all three of them, so that was great to be able to see!
Mom had the distinct pleasure of flying out to Kansas with me to watch Miss Cassie play. The distinct pleasure part was in being able to share my first flying experience. If you were to write her, she may have other words to describe it. I’ll leave that to her.
Before I get to my point for the week, let me just tell you my initial reactions to flying. Not only had I never flown, but I’d also never been in a plane or seen a plane in person (other than from the inside of an airport), so this was my first trip down that shaky fake hallway and into the plane. I was in front of Mom when we boarded the first plane, and the moment I stepped inside, I stopped in my tracks and thought (hopefully not out loud) You’ve got to be stinking kidding me. THIS is a plane? The one on Lost was so much bigger!!! This was just a little two-seats, one-aisle, two-more seats adventure. So I sat down by the window and started praying. I wanted to listen to the stash of music I’d brought to coach me through the experience, but they made us put away all electronic devices.
So instead, I was forced to rely on my memory of music. Somewhere from the recesses of my brain, I pulled out the lyrics to an old Gaither Vocal Band song…Jesus, I believe what You said You’ll do…Jesus, I believe You really love me…Jesus, I believe You really care…Jesus, I believe You died to save me…and at the crossing, You’ll be there...Oooh. No. Time for a different song.
We had the most hysterical flight attendant on that plane. His name was Collin and he did not buy into the traditional “Exits are here, here here,” two finger pointing business that I see mimicked on TV. He just kind of gave us the general rundown of the rules. I was familiar with the way the oxygen masks work, as I vividly remembered the crash scene from Lost when they fell from the ceiling before Oceanic Flight whatever it is fell from the sky. Anyway. At the end of his speech, Collin said, “The bathroom is located at the rear of the plane. It’s tiny, folks. We tried to save space by holding back on paint and wallpaper, but I don’t think it helped. I recommend deciding what you want to do before you go in and then back in or walk in as appropriate and don’t change your mind once you’re in there, because there’s no room to turn around.” He definitely eased my flying jitters!! (Not to mention that he gave me a certificate and a chance to go into the cockpit – after we landed – to meet the pilot and co-pilot.)
On the last flight home, Mom and I sat on the left side of the plane for the first time in this journey, and I was smack in between the wing and that little swirly engine thing. (Another vivid memory of Lost – that first episode where the guy gets sucked into the engine right after the crash. What a bummer! Live through the crash and get sucked into a jet engine two minutes later!) So while I tried to keep my mind and eyes OFF that thought, God took the opportunity to teach me a little lesson.
It was pretty overcast, as we were headed straight into a storm, but a few times, I was able to see the ground clearly. I wondered how many hundreds of miles I was able to see from my vantage point. Little pin-size dots were houses, I knew. Cars were too small to see and roads were like thin threads stretched out everywhere. I’d look at one cluster of houses and then another that from where I sat seemed to be only a foot or two apart. I wondered how many miles separated them really.
I’m in the middle of this 30 day faith growing experiment that God has sent my way, and He is so good to remind me of my faith and how it needs to be grown and stretched. And that day, He showed me how different things look from a new vantage point. Down on earth, so many miles might separate the people in those housing clusters that they might never know each other. To see each other might require great effort and much time. Yet from where I sat, it seemed much easier. The obstacles of roads and mountains and rivers were nothing from my point of view.
And God reminded me that’s how it is with Him. In all these areas of my life that He’s working in right now, I have no idea how He plans to accomplish some tasks. They seem impossible or issue-laden to me. But from where God sits, there’s not a thing in the way that He can’t easily fix. I just have to trust the way He sees things.
Flying was fun. I am not ready to trade in an office job in favor of the drink cart down the narrow aisle. I would fly again – although I’d prefer to wait until my ear unplugs and my head cold clears up. Perhaps that would make it just a tiny bit more comfortable. I had a great time watching Cassie play and would love to see her more! But I have to say that nothing compared to that little lesson that God shared with me on the flight home when I sat between the wing and the engine.
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