In the Arms of my Father!

This past week my family and I traveled to New York City! This trip would be my youngest daughter’s second time flying on an airplane. Over the years I have had to overcome my own fear of flying by simply facing my fears and getting on an airplane and flying all over the country!

Each time we have flown with Zoe, she wants to sit right next to dad because that’s where she feels safe. As the plane began to move away from the terminal on the first leg of our trip, Zoe latched on to my arm, hugged it so tight and I knew right away she was having some major apprehensions! I just began walking her through what was happening verbally. I told her why it was happening and I even discussed the events that were to come! As the conversation ended, her arms loosened from my arm and I noticed she began to move about and unpack her bag that held all of her activities to keep her occupied during the flight. We landed at our destination without incident and all was well with Zoe.

On our return trip Zoe once again announced she was sitting next to dad! It was incredibly windy that morning and many flights were delayed, including our own. When we boarded and taxied out on the runway our pilot announced that we were most certainly going to have a rough beginning and a rough ending of our flight due to the incredible wind gusts! I was certain that Zoe would have a death grip on my arm. Yes, she immediately grabbed my arm, but this time she placed it in a position in which she could rest her head and off to sleep she went. She slept through the entire flight, including all the rough parts and proudly proclaimed to everyone around us, “I didn’t feel a thing because I slept through it all.”

I have often found myself doing the same thing as my daughter. There are have been many times when I did not understand what was happening. I really didn’t understand why it was happening and because I didn’t know what the future looked like, I was full of fear and great concern. It has been in those times that I have grabbed a hold of my Heavenly Father as tightly as I could possibly grip. Each time that I do that, He gently tells me what is happening, explains why it’s happening and assures me, and He continues to explain each step of the way! Each time I have made it through without incident because my Father has been through this before. He has faced every trial I will ever face. He’s been there before me and He will walk me through this as He has done every other time before.

So maybe the next time the trial comes, I will just simply adjust His arm so that I may rest! Even if the winds are blowing and the wind gusts causes delays and even cancellations! I will just find peace in being next to my Father! And I will make it through without even realizing all that was really going on! I choose to trust the one that I am traveling with because I am assured that I will arrive at the destination that He has planned for me!