It was a dark and stormy morning in Bloomington, Illinois as we boarded the plane for Chicago. Prior to takeoff, the pilot announced that we were going to go around the thunderstorms while en route to O’Hare. Good idea captain!
The small regional jet took off and at first, it was just a little bumpy, then not too long into the flight it got really, really bumpy. Surrounded by lightning, the jet shook and bounced like I’d never experienced before. If we were actually going “around” the storm, I’d hate to know what going through a storm was like.
I was stricken with fear and made eye contact with several other passengers who were nearly as terrified as I was. My hands are feeling a bit sweaty right now even as I type, recalling this event from nearly twenty years ago!
Next to me was a young lady reading the Bible. She looked at me and asked, “Is this bad?” I replied, “Bad?! Yes, this is very bad!” This really didn’t phase her at all and she went back to reading her Bible. She had peace. I did not.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)
The experience on the flight was the trigger that finally influenced me to get serious about my faith. I had called myself a Christian for a long time but was lukewarm at best, and there were good reasons to be living in fear of punishment. All praise to God who uses people and situations to bring us closer to him, and I’m thankful for the faith of the young person who was sitting next to me. While turbulence and the storms of life can still be scary, it isn’t the same as it was twenty years ago because I know Jesus and I acknowledge him as The Son of God, and therefore I know peace.
This Sunday I’ll once again briefly recount this story in front of our local church body as I confess my faith in Jesus Christ as part of officially becoming a member of the church. That’s my story. What’s yours? Do you have peace?
Today’s reading: Zechariah 6-8; 1 John 4