Every time I fly I have a little routine I follow. It starts with the entrance. Before I even step foot onto the plane I touch the outside metal and pray that God will protect us. That no harm will come to us. I pray that the plane will be sound. That the pilot will be alert and know what he's doing. I just cover it.
Once we start moving I start praying over and over again...LORD JESUS KEEP US SAFE. Give us an easy take off. Protect us!!! It sounds like I'm scared to death, but I'm really not. I just have this thing I do, this routine. It comforts me I guess. Apparently I feel that pleading with God fervently will make it come to pass. Praying over the plane will keep us from crashing;)
Once the take off is over I almost forget that I'm flying 30,000 feet in the air and my body starts to relax. I'm in complete trust mode. Not just because I've prayed and I'm that trusting, but because I'm distracted by the beauty surrounding me.
I'm in complete and utter awe at His masterpiece, of those breathtaking clouds and that sun that is sometimes hidden until you reach just the right height. It's impossible to look at creation and not marvel at the Creator.
And in this procross my hands are completely off the wheel. I'm at someone else's mercy and if anything it's a reminder for me to let go. To not hold on so tight. To have faith like a little child and sit back and enjoy the ride.
If flying can remind me of these things, it's worth wading through security, waiting in long slow lines and babies crying for hours. It's worth the headache...for just a glimpse of who He is and what He is to me.
Have a blessed day.
645. reuniting...the best part of traveling
646. air conditioning
647. power returned after a storm
648. friends to make playing inside fun
649. golden time to make some new cuffs for the shop;)
650. praise report that my sister in law and family are safe in CO and that it's not quite as bad as it was. KEEP PRAYING FOR RAIN!
Becky you have a wonderful gift for turning the ordinary, everyday experiences into powerful lessons. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI always imagine God's
ReplyDeletebig hand, with the plane
cradled in it, sending it
gently into the air.....A
friend told me she did this
before every flight, many
years ago, and I adopted
it as my own sort of prayer
that I also do before each
flight! Yes, it's a complete
giving over, isn't it? Happy
that you are all home, safe
and sound, and I bet your
hubby is, too!
Happy Monday,
xo Suzanne
I do the same thing when Im flying Becky....but I also have this ridiculous mantra going thru my head the whole time we're getting settled and Im scoping out the other passengers...wondering, "does he look like an underwear bomb wearing kind of guy?" or "would that person look like someone on the nightly news?" Goofy...I'm just always happy and thankful to be back on the ground!! Btw, I made your moms lemon bars this weekend...I pretty much ate the whole pan myself...they were yummy!!
ReplyDeleteI also do the same- I don't touch the side of the plane but I pray like a crazy person during take off and landing and if things get bumpy, I pray some more. CO has my prayers for rain. We had the fires a little too close to home (near our neighborhood!) last summer and it was scary.
ReplyDeleteso, so true. i am really seriously scared of flying due to the whole loss of control and just having faith thing. it is scary--but so worth it for the adventure, the beauty and the lessons learned. beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeletewhat beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeletethe Heavens declare the glory of God!
what a great lesson, Becky.
xo
You could make the most stressful situation seem peaceful. Must be all of your prayers :)
ReplyDeleteI said similar prayers the other night during the storms about the power, the trees, etc. You always seem to put things in perspective. I was praying for power (such a first world thing) and your family in CO is just praying for rain. For RAIN! I'll be praying for rain now too.
I do the same thing. This post rocks. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm all good until it's time to land. I had a crazy landing, once, over the holidays. We flew through an ice storm. There was much turbulence, and the bags overhead shifted, a few of them actually falling out of overhead compartments. I know. Scary. When it came time to land, the pilot landed short and almost crashed us into a building. To top it all off, I was very sick (running a fever). I thought I was going to die one way or the other. I haven't been at complete peace during a landing since...even flying w/ my dad as the pilot. And I HATE it when Cade flies somewhere w/o me. Totally stresses me out.
ReplyDeleteI never minded flying too much until the last time I flew to Dallas. Oh my goodness. It was so turbulent. I really thought we were going to go down. It sure is beautiful up there though, isn't it? God is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI always pray a lot when I'm flying too. My husband says he's not scared of flying, just plummeting to his death. He totally freaks me out if I fly with him, but if I'm by myself or with my kids, I'm fine and I enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteHappy flying!
~FringeGirl
I'm always a little weird about flying too. It's stressful and can be just plain scary sometimes. Those pics are gorg. Glad you made it there and back safely!
ReplyDeletedespite the headache of flying, it really is beautiful to be up there in the sky. i pray too...just a thing ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree with the covering it in prayer. Oh you're texting me right now... LOL
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the reuniting photo. So cute. Glad you're safe.. worried about ya lots when I saw the news. Sheesh.
Okay off to shower and start laundry and then I'll try and call you in a bit maybe! (It may have to be tomorrow though b/c we have to go to a funeral this afternoon and Adrain is home.) Love ya girl.
As a child I flew in my dad's little Cessna with no fear. As I got older I became afraid to fly and didn't for 20 years. Went to therapy to help me learn to do it again because I knew as my kids got older, they would move away and I might have to fly to see them. Good thing I worked it out because my son and his wife moved from FL to CA and by that time I was flying a couple of times a year, no problem. It was one of my biggest accomplishments. Flying in a little metal tube way up in the air takes faith, pure and simple and I love how you turned an anxious experience (for some) into something beautiful. And thanks for mentioning all the folks having such terrible times with the weather and fires. They all need our prayers and positive thoughts. Ann
ReplyDeleteI have a very, very similar routine when we fly. :)
ReplyDeleteloved seeing the pictures of your girl hugging her dad...precious moments worth capturing.
joining you in prayer for rain over CO....we have friends there....their parsonage and church were somehow in the middle of fires and were spared. The pictures of the fire all around the church and their home is so terrifying....I just cried while looking at the pictures. prayers go out to the families who have suffered such loss.
I will most definitely remember this post the next time I fly. What a lovely, lovely post!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, just beautiful - the words and pictures alike. I was one with a crying baby yesterday... So I didn't take any pics. Ha!
ReplyDeleteOur flight from Chas. to Atlanta was crazy like a roller coaster. I don't get anxious about flying, but yesterday I even cried. I was thanking Jesus when we landed.
I love this. And you. I am not afraid to fly but I too pray every time we take off and land. Your pictures are awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter in COlorado told me today (Tuesday) that they were expecting monsoon rains for several days in a row. Wouldn't that be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteOur power was out as well. Way too hot. Most of our town still is out. So much damage as well. But it will all turn around and we are still thankful.
I am fine until it is time to land. Love the beautiful pics!
ReplyDeleteHappy Fourth! God bless America!
Oh I love this post...all of it!
ReplyDeleteHey, just to let you know, you convinced me to take the Creatively Made E Course with Jeanne and I am loving it...thanks for your inspiration that you probably had know idea that you were doing across the blogland ;) Just wanted to say I saw your vlog and you did a great job. You're a cutie pie so thanks for your inspiration as well. God is telling me to use my creativity just trying to figure out which aspect it is He wants me to use. Happy Fourth of July!
i love me some planes, and on the rare occasion when i've flown sans kids, it's been like a mini-retreat.
ReplyDeletelove these lessons, and this glimpse at your trust in our incredible God. you're my favorite, becky.
you make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI am TERRIFIED...like hard core drugs terrified .. to fly!
BUT
you are so right with the beauty up there. You can't look at it and not
marvel at the Creator. Stunning
happy 4th to your sweet little family. Enjoy family bed time tonight:)
xoxo
catching up with you today...finally got a chance to sit down! :) I've missed your blog during my move! Love these pictures...so many great shots!
ReplyDelete