I'm Leavin on a Jetplane

I recently traveled to go visit one of my friends, and I cannot stand flying. Its not that I have a fear of it or anyting, it is just such a prodcution and honestly very draining for me, so I was not particularly looking forward to the trip. But God spoke to me so clearly on the plane, and I wanted to share what I learned.

Our plane hit a severe amount of turbulance. The noise of fearful gasps flooded my ears and overpowered the music. It got worse, and the anxiety intensified on the plane. The woman next to me grabbed my arm and looked at me with the most fearful eyes, but all I could do was smile. I realized that God is not done with me. This turbulance is nothing because I am in his hand, so I simply enjoyed the sensation in my stomach that came from the shifting of the aircraft. Then we emerged. I saw the massive cloud, laced with rainfall, that we had just flown through out the corner of my eye. Then I noticed the radiant sun gently kissing the clouds that we soared so gracefully above. Beauty. Pure Beauty. This is when I encountered a beautiful metaphor. The tragedies in life can be counted as turbulance. They produce anxiety, fear, that unbearable sick feeling you find in your stomach. They cause you to wonder, "where are you?" "why is this happening?" "am I going to make it?" No one enjoys the painful process of tribulation. It's painful, it doesn't seem necessary. It fills us with doubt and steals our joy. Oh, but if we only knew what was stored on the other side. The turbulance gave way to one of the most beautiful depictions of the skies I have ever seen. As if anxiety and fear caused me to see the world from a life-transforming lens. The sun never seemed so bright, the clouds never so majestic. Tears filled my eyes as I sat in this moment with my God's hand, no doubt, resting gently on my shoulder. These are the moments that cause us to break out in song, praising His love, these realizations give us the strength we need to fulfill the law of Christ found in Galatians. Tragedy, tribulation, and trials are merely the steps that precede rejoicing, happiness, and joy. There is nothing significant about struggle. It just so happens that death is the only way to resurrection. Yet every time I go through a hardhsip, I kick and scream, begging and pleading God to save me from having to experience anymore pain. However, it is the valleys that allow you to truly appreciate the beauty of a mountain top. If we want to know the creator, He will walk us through fields of pain, so let us recieve His will with open arms.

-Jeff