In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
Some of us are old enough to remember the days before seat belt laws. Even though their history began nearly two centuries ago, it has only been in the last few decades that the safety feature has become a mandatory law.
Growing up, I can’t even remember seat belts in our cars, and I know even if they were there, we didn’t use them. In retrospect, if we had used them, my sisters and I might have avoided being thrown around in the car as a result of my Mama’s driving! It’s a miracle we survived!
I can’t imagine getting on a plane and not seeing the Fasten Seat Belt sign illuminated, and the crew’s persistent reminder to “keep your seat belts fastened.” The precaution is taken because we never know when turbulence might hit, and we need to be anchored in and connected to the movement of the plane.
Turbulence is defined as violent irregular motion characterized by rapid shifts in velocity and pressure. In avaition, it is characterized by abrupt jolts causing the aircraft to rise, drop, or shake unexpectedly. We might use synonyms such as instability, disorder, unrest, or agitation to describe the effect of turbulence in life situations.
Randy and I were living in Bowdon in 1978 when a young history professor from West Georgia College in Carrollton began to visit our small church regularly. His name was Newt Gingrich, and later that year, he went on to beome the representative for the 6th district in Congress. We enjoyed following his career and always appreciated his friendship and support.
When we moved to Marietta in 1988, he renewed his friendship with Randy, and during the the 1990’s, he invited us to attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. as his guests.
This trip involved a flight from Atlanta to Washington, and although, I was no stranger to flying, I do not do well with turbulence. The flight was relatively uneventful until we got close to the airspace around D.C. Suddenly, the plane began to drop sharply, bounce back up, and drop again.
There were loud gasps of panic, and I’m pretty sure one of us might have screamed a time or two!! I remember grabbing that seat belt and trying to get it a little tighter!!
It was at this time when the pilot came on the intercom and in a calm voice said, “Hello, this is your captain, we are encountering some turbulence.” Well, no kidding!! This was not news to anyone.
He calmly explained our situation, and that we were going to drop below the turbulence. I had my doubts at this point, but as it turned out, he knew what he was doing. The crew managed to take us through the turbulence, land the plane safely,and get us to our destination in one piece.
The same scenario can be true in life. We never know when some unexpected turbulence will come out of nowhere to disrupt our flight pattern, and we need to be anchored in with a close relationship, or a seat belt, to our protector and our Lord. We need a skilled pilot to get us through the turbulence and land us safely.
Like many of us in life, I was unprepared for the turbulence that day. So, how do we prepare for the turbulence that will certainly come our way in life. First, it’s good to be prepared. Just like a seatbelt prepares us for a sudden accident, being prepared helps us to be ready when things change. Most of us are either going into or coming out of tough times, so prepare yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically the best you can!
Next, be attentive to those around who are suffering. God says that what we give will be pressed down for us, shaken up, and then turned into a double portion of blessing for us. Helping others is one of the greatest ways to get out of our own turbulent times. It feels good. It reminds us of God’s love for us!
Finally, be faithful and listen to God’s direction. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep believing that whatever turbulence is affecting your life now will end. Sometimes the greatest blessings come from our most negative circumstances.
It wasn’t really necessary for the pilot to come on the intercom that day to tell us that we were experiencing turbulence during our flight to D.C. I think we all were pretty sure of that. He could have just manuvered out of it and landed the plane, but I was really glad to hear his reassuring voice.
It was good to know that he was still in control, and he had a plan for our safety and well being. God works a lot like that pilot in our lives.
There is always a reward for enduring the turbulence. To say that this event was a once in a life time experience is an understatement! I will never forget that time, and the faces that sat with us that day at our table. Randy was in heaven because Hugh O’Brien, aka Wyatt Earp, sat there next to him. I couldn’t believe Madelyn Albright sat across from me!
When Billy Graham walked out to center stage after President and Mrs. Clinton had been seated, the turbulence of the day was forgotten and the promise of God calling us to prayer was real.
The turbulence of the journey there was worth the blessings we received that day. So it is with life. The turbulence just means “we are still flying!!”