Flying over the San Francisco Bay Area is one of my favorite treats -- especially from an aisle seat. The poor man sitting next to me -- by the window -- didn't stand a chance; in fact, I was waiting for him to switch seats with me because I kept leaning over to snap pictures while he was trying to sleep. The fog had rolled back revealing a panoramic view of the city; I even got a fuzzy picture of the Golden Gate Bridge (not pictured).But as I eased back in my seat, I felt closer to the land than I did the sky...it blended into one until we were at a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet.
What is it about flying that makes me feel close to God? It certainly isn't the inattentive flight attendants or the sometimes rude passengers; it's that feeling that I'm so small compared to God's greatness. Climbing to that high altitude doesn't come without some rough spots -- turbulence! You see, when you're flying at lower altitudes you experience it a lot more than at higher altitudes. But once above the clouds, it's smooth "sailing" -- most of the time.
I had to laugh when the captain announced, "We're heading into some 'weather'!" What he really meant to say was, "We have scattered thunderstorms and it's going to be a rough flight." Thankfully, most passengers missed that part and went on reading the New York Times, USA today or books on Kindle. But I was keenly aware of what the captain meant. It was going to be a rough flight for the next five hours.
Yes, I spilled coffee all over me (twice); dropped my laptop on the floor, and have sinus congestion and popping ears today, but we landed safely and the flying incident is a faint memory.
Turbulent "flying" doesn't just happen on airplanes; it happens on the ground as well. It's our eternal perspective that keeps us focused.
A friend reminded me of that today -- each day has enough trouble of its own, so keep "flying" -- don't look back and keep focused on the prize that lays before all of us!
Living Life Passionately,
