In the last little bit I have found myself flying a lot more than I am comfortable with. Flying didn’t bother me for a long time, but then a few years ago I had a bad experience. On a long flight across the country, I was faced with an exaggerated amount of air turbulence that frequently caused my stomach to lurch as the plane dropped and bumped. Though I tried to keep a calm exterior, I bit a hole in my cheek on that flight as all the terrible thoughts raced through my mind while the plane rocked and buckled across the United States. Since then I’m faced with a sense of dread every time I settle into the seat for a flight. Every time the aircraft jumps, even slightly, my heart jumps right along with it. Because of my writer’s mind, the wild and various terrible scenarios repeat themselves unbidden until I’m safely back on the ground.
This fear is one of the reasons I’m grateful for my knowledge of the gospel. It teaches me that God is mindful of His children, even me, in the hour of their need. It may seem something small and insignificant in the grand scheme of life, but when I am in the midst of my fear it is the most important thing to me and my Heavenly Father.
I’m grateful for the power of prayer at these times. From the moment the plane begins to taxi, I begin to pray. My prayers are often unadorned and repetitive, but I think He understands. I ask for safety, but most of all I ask for peace. I ask for His spirit to speak peace to my troubled mind and heart, to calm my body and soul. I do not ask for Him to remove the trial, though I would love to be rid of this fear. I only ask for courage to be equal to the challenge I’m facing. What I’m most grateful for is the knowledge that I have that He really does listen, He understands, and He reaches out to me in my small need.
When the plane lands I change my prayer to one of gratitude. He has touched me with His love once again. If I asked for the challenge to be removed, I think I’d easily forget the wonderful miracle that it is to so easily recognize His hand in my life. I love knowing that He loves me, even more than I can comprehend.
If it weren’t for these small trials, I think I might also forget to look for His touch when life’s challenges build and become overwhelming. At those times it can be easy to forget where your strength lies. It can be easy to forget to turn to Him. It can be more difficult to feel His comforting touch if we are not already aware of its affects in our life.
No, I do not like to fly. I will at times go out of my way to avoid it. Still, I will always be grateful for the little nagging fears that crowd my mind as I taxi down the runway that lead to fervent, sincere prayer. These things lead me to the comforting arms of my Heavenly Father and I can think of no place I’d rather be.
