Faith and Flying

Hebrews 11:1 shares "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Hoping and Not Seeing. Not exactly a concept which can instill a lot of confidence in the day and age. In the professional landscape, we must ensure ROI.  And establish the pathway to success and move along it accordingly.

But what about us. What about us with our lives. Should we live our lives Hoping and Not Seeing? Doesn't seem to make all the sense in the world, does it?


I flew in to Atlanta from Minneapolis last night. Now flying to me is always a little odd. A big heavy metallic tube with wings that launches me and my fellow passengers up into the air and brings us back down safely, quite a ways away from where we started. You get on. The door is shut. It's crowded. A metallic voice shares status updates as to your whereabouts. And you just sit there—perhaps every once in a while getting up to pee—then right back to your seat. I hope this plane is gonna do as I believe it will. Get me where I want to go.

So, I had been dialed in to a couple of USA Today crosswords from the past couple of days, and took in some airline TV entertainment. Then the metallic voice shared that we were approaching our destination and to please check the security of your seat belt. At this point I am always reminded of the big, heavy, metallic tube with wings thing and check my seat belt. It was a bit of a rocky decline. Probably due to the weather. Swaying side to side. Back and forth. I tightened by seat again and again. Though I couldn't see the ground, I hoped we got there safely. And as I tightened my seat belt, I was more and more latching myself on to this plane.


Now if faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, then am I tightening my belt to Jesus? Do I fully entrust Him to bring me safely to a destination which is a ways away from where I started? Tested faith is quite a definer of that which you have faith in. And the Lord has historically proven flight-worthy. Honestly though, I am a little scared of a tested faith—when all we can do is tighten our seat belt to that (or whom) which we trust. And this is a life full of faith tests.