1997.
That was the summer I turned 16.
It was also the summer I flew with a church group to Chiclayo, Peru for a short-term missions trip to help construct a new district center. We shoveled a lot of sand and gravel and mixed a lot of concrete.
We made a lot of great friends in spite of the language barrier (and keep in touch with some even now, nearly 24 years later). I even spent my birthday on a day trip to Macchu Picchu but that’s a story for another email!
What stands out to me right now was the series of flights we took to arrive in Chiclayo. What I remember from the trip there was the tray table falling down as I leaned forward to get something and busting my lips on my braces. It hurt. I spent the rest of the trip putting medicine on my lip trying to get it to heal.
But being young and naive, there was a lot about that plane trip that just went … well… right over my head. After the fact, I was surprised to hear my mom, who had been on the trip too, talk about the anxiety she had on the flight because the plane had been in questionable condition.
I had not even noticed.
What I assumed had happened was that the tray table just hadn’t been locked, but after hearing her observations, I realize it may have just been faulty.
Her observations included a concrete block holding up one of the seats and some of the windows that had been repaired with duct tape.
How did I NOT see those details???
I didn’t remember seeing ANY of that! I was shocked when I heard her describing the plane to someone. Granted, I didn’t sit by her on the plane and had a different vantage point, but still!
I was blissfully unaware (other than the pain in my mouth of course).
As an adult now, and a mother myself, I can reflect back on that situation and realize that I wasn’t expecting there to be anything wrong. I’d flown a number of times before, and I’d never experienced anything to make me doubt that the plane wouldn’t be safe.
I had faith that everything would be okay.
I trusted the plane, the crew, and my parents, who were on the plane with me.
As Christians, we can travel through life with faith that our Heavenly Father will meet our needs. While we need to be alert and standing firm, rather than oblivious, we don’t need to fear all of the what-if’s.
If we see a threat, we have the incredible privilege of being able to present it back to God as a prayer.
Try adapting this prayer this week and making it apply to whatever you are tempted to fear.
Heavenly Father, I praise you that you are the answer to every problem I could possibly face! Your Word promises that You will care for us when we cast all of our cares or anxieties on you. Father, I’m tempted to be anxious about ________ but I’m bringing it to you instead. I believe that your word is true and I thank you for how you’re going to work out this situation in a way that glorifies you! I thank you and I praise you, Lord! In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
May you be as peaceful as an oblivious teenager on a rickety plane the next time the enemy tries to convince you that you need to be anxious!
In Christ,
Keri
PS- Are you struggling with fear and anxiety? I wrote a book about that! It talks about anxiety and depression from a clinical standpoint, then goes deeper to explore the spiritual warfare behind it. The ebook is on sale right now! Click here for more information.