A Few Bumps and Bruises

T

he Lord’s lessons never stop and His classroom is anywhere you happen to be at any given moment.  On January 12, 2005 the lesson was faith.  My location was in the middle seat in aisle 17 of a jam-packed airplane, thirty minutes out from Chicago’s O’Hare airport and approximately 27,000 feet above the ground.  It was a memorable lesson but I was not a model student.

I was making my way back to Fort Worth after spending the Christmas holidays with my family in North Carolina.  The day started off very well.  My dad took me to the airport for the first leg of my journey, from Charlotte to Chicago.  The flight was very smooth and I actually slept most of the way to Chicago.  As we approached the airport, however, the captain’s voice came over the speaker system to inform us that weather conditions in the middle of the country and in the northeast meant that some connecting flights would be delayed but we would arrive at our gate on time.

We landed with just a few bumps on the way down.  There was very little snow on the ground and practically no fog in the area.  Heavy clouds, however, indicated that some sort of weather was brewing somewhere but I thought little of it and concentrated on finding the gate for the last part of my journey to DFW Airport. 

I located the gate and began munching on one of the apples my mom had shoved into a plastic sack a few hours before.  About three bites into the apple, someone noticed that our flight had been cancelled.  We all sprang to our feet but were assured we had been placed on another flight leaving in mid-afternoon.  So, I grabbed some lunch, found the gate, and waited.

Finally, at 3:30 we took off and around 4:00 the festivities began.  A strong weather system was approaching from the west and the plane began to bounce and shake because of the turbulence it was encountering.  The captain asked the flight crew to be seated—never a good thing—and they resumed their duties 25 minutes later.  During that time, the plane was jostled and shaken several times and all the while my nails dug deeper and deeper in to the plush upholstery covering the armrest of my seat.  Needless to say, I don’t like turbulence.

In my mind’s eye, I could see the plane falling to the ground, thanks to the turbulent winds blowing against it.  But the turbulence only proved that there was air underneath the plane, holding it up.  Although the winds were against it, the plane continued to make forward progress and it continued on its course because the pilot knew where he was going. He was experienced, and he knew how to get to our final destination.  The fact that I could not see him and that I had absolutely no control made me nervous but it didn’t affect the outcome of our flight.  For all my worry and concern, we arrived at DFW Airport safe and sound, ready to greet family and friends and head for our homes.

I learned a great lesson in the skies over the mid-west.  Flights are not always smooth.  Sometimes, they are choppy, bumpy, and a bit scary.  There are no guarantees that an airplane won’t encounter any turbulence and in point of fact that expectation is very unrealistic.  No, turbulence is part of flying and sometimes you just have to fly right through it.

Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that the same principle is true in the Christian life.  It has become very popular today to hear sermons and read books that paint a very rosy picture of the Christian life.  Indeed, there are those who believe that once a person becomes a Christian all life’s problems are over.  There will be no turbulence, nothing but smooth sailing ahead.  It’s a nice thought, but it is dead wrong.  Nowhere in the Bible do we find any such promise or guarantee.  In fact, Jesus promises us just the opposite will be true in the Christian life.

In John 16:33 we read, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  Notice very carefully that Jesus tells us plainly that in this world, in life, we will have trouble.  There will be times when life doesn't make sense; there will be times when we experience unexpected sadness, pain, or rejection.  But Jesus also tells us that we will have peace in him.  Peace in Jesus means trouble in the world because the peace that Jesus offers us the world cannot give.

  

The bumps and bruises of life are not fun but they do not hinder us from making forward progress.  They just make that progress a little more difficult and a little more challenging.  But the Lord has promised to be with us through the bumps and bruises of life and to make sure we land safely at home.  If it is turbulent where you are today, just dig your hand a little deeper into God’s and cling a little more tightly to Him.  The bumps and bruises will only last for a while; we have His word on that.