by Lisa Rinaldo
For someone who loves to travel, I sure hate to fly. Flying is all about unknowns, unseen forces at work, waiting, and trusting that everything will go according to plan. Sounds something like trying to live a life of faith, doesn’t it?

I always laugh when a friend says, “Have a safe flight.” As if it depended on MY abilities! I’m not the one in control—my journey is in someone else’s hands, and only he knows the course to set and how to adjust it. Never mind all the guidelines for how large a carry-on can be, and putting only the correct liquids in a Ziploc bag, here are the real “rules” about flying, and trusting, as I see them:

COUNT ON UNSEEN FORCES—Much of my journey will be a result of mysterious forces, which I don’t pretend to understand. How does a 747 lift off the ground, and stay in the air for 10 hours to London? How do those controls keep us on our trajectory? I don’t know, yet my bags and I have always arrived safely at our destinations over the years (well, sometimes the bags…). But, I can still fly, even if I don’t understand the physics of how it works--and I can still trust God, even when I don’t know exactly how he works.

PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL— Some people grip the armrest for security and some meditate to feel calm. When I fly, I seem to be able to follow the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to pray constantly: “Please God, smooth out this turbulence.” Or “Thank you, Lord, for protection in the air today as I travel.” I feel closer to God, and not just because I’m 30,000 feet in the air. Wouldn’t my life and my attitude be radically changed if I prayed this much at home, with an open heart that trusts in his powers?

WAITING IS MANDATORY—I always wish the check-in, the waiting, and the flight would go faster. It has been a process, but I have learned to relax, breathe, live in the present, and keep in mind that I can only take my journey one moment at a time. Why is it I can “let go and let God” so much more easily when I’m in an airport? What if I waited more graciously at other times too?

MY NEEDS WILL BE MET—While I’m in transit, my needs for food, drink, basic comfort, and entertainment are met by the flight attendants. Even in today’s budget-minded travel, it’s pleasant to have someone bring me a diet soda or cold apple juice and then come back to pick up my trash. Fellow passengers often provide companionship, humor, and stories of their journeys, much like the pilgrims I journey with on earth. Whether God gives me a bag of peanuts or a full meal, am I content and thankful for the moment? Am I listening to other people’s wisdom as they recount their life journeys to me?

DISCOMFORT IS PART OF THE PACKAGE—Discomfort is always part of traveling—cramped seats, stiff legs, and sometimes a bumpy ride with a queasy stomach. At that point, there’s not much I can do except believe the pilot when he tells us the turbulence will only last a little while. I fasten my seat belt until it’s smooth again. He never actually says, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.” As I try to understand what it means to live a life of faith, I see where God often says both of those things to me in Scripture. Am I listening and trusting as intently as when I hear the pilot’s voice?

NOTE TO THE READER—I’ve heard pastors say when they prepare for a sermon it seems they’re tested on the very issues they want to bring to the pulpit. I think they‘re telling the truth.

Writing this article about patience during the travel process was what helped me tell myself, as I packed for my trip to Scotland, “Relax…Go with the flow…Count your blessings—for there are a lot of them in your life.” I was feeling pretty good about myself. I was following my own advice—living what I preach.

However, my direct flight from the U.S. to London arrived late and I missed my connecting flight to Edinburgh. While I did make the next flight out and arrived at my destination on time, my luggage did not.

It wasn’t pleasant news that my luggage, clothing, and essentials did not make the trip to Edinburgh, but it wasn’t the end of the world either.

What caused me concern was that I was traveling to Scotland for Christmas to visit my son, daughter-in-law, and new grandbaby, Lazarus—and all their Christmas presents were tucked away in one of the missing suitcases.

Time seemed to drag as I waited for the bags to arrive and be delivered. I waited through the next morning, through the afternoon, knowing the longer you go without them, the more likely they aren’t going to show up.

I had resigned myself to the fact that the suitcases were “somewhere out there” on their way to suitcase utopia, when the doorbell rang and my bags were delivered at 7:00 pm that evening.

I admit that, at that point, I was on the pathway to stress. But there was a sweet sense of joy that I received from my kids as they insisted, “Mom, the best gift is you being with us to celebrate the baby’s first Christmas.”

Maybe that’s what God wanted me to hear.

----------------------------------------------------

Lisa Rinaldo lives in Foothill Ranch, California, USA and was preparing to fly to Edinburgh, Scotland when she wrote this article—Italy is next on her travel list. She is an educator in Orange County and two of her favorite pastimes are travel outside the U.S. and spending time with her grandbabies. Which means she visits her two sons: (1) Nathan who is working on his Ph.D. in Scotland with his wife Christina and new grandson, Lazarus (in picture); and (2) Jeremy, a family practice physician who plans to relocate to Oregon, USA with his wife Ann and Lisa’s granddaughter, Evie.

To contact Lisa: lisarinaldo@hotmail.com