San Francisco’s yearly Fleet Week draws families from all over the California Bay Area. While the military ships are exciting to see, the biggest attraction is the Blue Angels. This year I happened to be visiting my parents during Fleet Week so we made a spontaneous trip across the Bay. Knowing how crowded the city would be, we drove to a former military base in nearby Sausalito. For over 30 minutes we watched the famous team of planes zoom over our heads in tight formations. The loops and dives didn’t amaze me nearly as much as the fact that the planes didn’t crash into one another. They were so frighteningly close!
Later, my dad (who flies small planes and loves to read about aviation) explained how the pilots do it. Six planes may be grouped together but only the lead pilot keeps his eyes on the sky, watching for what’s ahead. The rest are assigned a specific spot on the plane ahead of them, to watch at all times. Each pilot knows that attempting to look ahead instead of at his assigned spot could not only pull him out of formation, but could cause a fatal error, both for him and whoever he crashes into. He must trust that lead pilot to know what is ahead and guide the group.
I immediately saw God as that lead pilot, watching the skies ahead, and myself as one of those commanded to keep my eyes on one spot. How often do I insist on looking ahead, unable to trust the One in the lead to know what He is doing? And what happens each time, without fail? I either fly off course or cause a crash. It might not be literally fatal but it does damage. Thankfully, God, in His kindness, never fails to guide me back, offering a loving reminder that things will work out so much better if I just obey and keep my eyes on the assigned spot.
More and more, I am learning the benefits of trusting God with what is ahead. All I have is my assigned focal point—today. He guides me through each loop, dive, and breathtaking assent. When I have the faith to simply follow I have peace. Even if it seems like His directions are making me air sick, I accept that He knows what He is doing and that I’ll land safely when we’re finished.
Are you struggling to trust God for what is ahead? Try asking Him to point out the one thing He wants you to focus on for today. Pray that He will help you trust Him to lead until this season of dips and sickening loops comes to an end.
1 comment:
Hi Camy!
With my mom's recent brain attack, I felt like I was on a military plane show flight demo braving all the loops and dives for these past three weeks. It was toughest time of my life.
As I've gone through every single day being with my mother at the Neuro Critical Care Unit,God wanted me to hang on tight, enjoy the ride and trust that He knows what He's doing. He constantly assured me of Jer. 29: 11 "I know the plans I have for you, the plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and future."
True enough, mom is at home now and on the road to recovery. I believe that He will fix her and make her a better person after this. All we have to do is to trust Him, the pilot of our lives.
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