Staying relaxed in trouble by ‘Shola Mike Agboola

A comfortable plane ride was about to get bumpy. The voice of the captain interrupted in-flight beverage service and asked passengers to make sure their seat belts were fastened. Soon the plane began to roll and pitch like a ship on a wind-whipped ocean. While the rest of the passengers were doing their best to deal with the turbulence, a little girl sat through it all reading her book. After the plane landed, she was asked why she had been able to be so calm. She responded, “MY DADDY IS THE PILOT AND HE’S TAKING ME HOME.”
The account above is from an edition of Our Daily Bread Devotional.
The little girl’s response struck me. I wish I was as calm when one of my flights back to Nigeria after a foreign mission entered into a serious storm. The turbulence, which lasted for about 25 minutes, was so severe that the airplane vibrated vigorously. The plane swerved left and right like a toy in the hand of a child. We lost and gained altitude intermittently. There was grave silence in the entire cabin. I appeared calm on the outside but, I must confess, I was ruffled on the inside. All manner of thoughts flashed through my mind. I closed the window blind to avoid seeing the dark clouds that ravaged the plane. I prayed silently; I worshipped solemnly; I prophesied earnestly: I even confessed sins I did not commit, all in a bid to see the travail end. Lo and behold, the turbulence did not cease until after about 25 minutes when perfect calm was restored. To say, we eventually landed safely would be stating the obvious. Of course, that is why I am around to write this.
At different points in life, we all experience different types of storms – psychological, emotional, physical, social etc. Some storms are so severe that we feel like giving up or giving in. We simply tell ourselves, “I can’t bear this anymore.” There is solace in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Indeed, God did not promise us a smooth flight. What He promised is a safe landing. Whenever life storms arise, let us learn, like that little girl, to say, “MY DADDY IS THE PILOT AND HE’S TAKING ME HOME.” With Jesus in charge, we will land safely.
Shalom!
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