Friday, April 22, 2011

Flying


I once loved it.  Then all of a sudden I stopped.  I attributed it to having children who depended on me,  or at least was convinced by someone that may be why I did not like it anymore.  Flying, my dad always said, was safer than driving, but lately with all the air traffic controllers.....falling asleep, HEELLLOOO......This has not helped my confidence in this mode of transportation.
It's raining outside. The first of its kind in months.  Drought.  Put the fires out in Texas please dear rain.  Dear God.  The sky is lighting up with thunderous strobes that remind me again.....glad I am not flying.  I want to sit outside and just watch and listen.  I recorded it once on video after 100 some odd days of no rain.....just so I could remember what it sounded like, what it looks like and enjoy it when the earth thirst again.  I have to go out.....I will be right back.

'  '     '     '     '     '     '     '      '       '       '      '     '   '  ' ' ' '   ' ' ' ' ' '     '   ' ' ' ' ' '   ' ' ' ' '   ' ' ' ' '    '  '     '  '
    '   ' ' '     ' ' ' ' '     '      '      ' ' ' ''       '       '       '               '    '      ' ' '   ' ' '    '       '  '    ' 
  '  '  ' ' ' ' '  ' '  ' ' '    '  '   '  '   ' ' ' ' '  ' ' '            '       '      '  '  ' '      '  '   '       '  ' '      ' ' '         '     '  '  
 '  ' '       '             ' ' '  ' '        ' ' '       '  '     '     '  '      '        '    '     ''       '  ' ' ' ''      ''''     ''''''      '  ' '    
    '                       '                          ''''             '          '        '       '''           ''       '       '''      '      '       '     '

I am back from visiting the rain.  Marvelous just to stand and listen, smell and receive.  What a delightful shower mix with light flickering like extinguishing bulb.  Window shaking thunder of kettle drum strength and sound like shaking sheets of metal that interrupt the applauding rain.  It approaches and the wind picks up, the trees do their welcome dance as it moves on by overhead.  Cool air covers like a blanket chills swiftly breathing in and out.  One last crash finale as the miles come between us.  Softer, soothing, reassuring rest and restoring flow.  A gift interpretation.....a gift interruption of my nightly ritual of bedtime routine.  Singing me to sleep whirling.  Blessing me home.
Rain has nothing to do with flying, but everything to do with weather, therefore does have something to do with flying cause you shouldn't fly in bad weather.  Or at lease I don't think you should. And most of the time flights are delayed because of rain, snow, wind, fog, and even volcanic ash.  I do convince myself on flights sometimes that they fly airplanes into hurricanes to collect data.....ok so it helps. Which brings me to my point.....finally no more delays.....the point, the take off and perhaps the landing.  I don't like flights that are not direct. The up down process is not my favorite.  Just get me up where I need to go and take me down.  That'll do.
Sometimes however, God needs us to go up, then come down, then go back up, then come down and up again til we finally reach our destination.....home with Him.  I asked myself this last trip why I limit myself sometimes to the places God wants to take me?  It may look like up down up down to me, but it may be exactly how and where He wants me to go.  Am I too afraid to trust God even when I have to fly in bad weather?  When storms come do I take flight or do I just stay put?  Do I run to Him for cover and stand safely in the storm knowing He loves me, protects me, comforts me, and provides for me as I draw near to him keeping my eyes open in the storm to see what it is He will teach me.  I am so not in control and He is.  He is in control of the rain and the storms.  Flying is different than it used to be when I was little and trusted more.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  Matt. 18:3-4
O that I could be humbled more by the gracious gift of the storms that are longing to take me flying with Him.  He will be the wind beneath my wings. I know I know don't say it, but I know you are thinking it. The rain has stopped.  Quiet is the night.  I miss the storm.  I know I will see Jesus there.