Dwell Deep

I enjoy flying, and having flown so much I’m quite used to some of the quirks. For example if you ever land at Atlanta’s airport where there are usually four or five runways operating at once, it is very normal to look out of the window and see another plane landing at the same time you are. Just as you get used to that idea, two more planes using runways between you zoom past on their way to the sky!Clever planning, accurate execution of the plan and strict adherence to a set of complex rules keeps everyone safe.While Atlanta’s airport is only about half an hour away, there is a regional airport just two miles away called “Falcon Field”.Some time ago that little airport was home for the week to the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. Our house faces roughly in the direction of Falcon Field and so while the Blue Angels practiced, I was able to watch their really scary moves from our front door!While I am very happy flying in a commercial airliner, I really wouldn't like flying in one of these acrobatic planes. For me it wouldn't be about the fear of the planes bumping into each other, nor would I fear the exciting ride, but for sure, I’d throw up and feel ill for days!The reason I wouldn't fear the flights (just the airsickness) is that because of meeting so many flight crew and flying so much, logic has processed the risk and found it to be more than acceptable. In fact, many of the commercial pilots I meet have flown for either the Navy or Air Force and fly by the same rules and principles as their military counterparts before moving on to commercial flying.The teamwork analogy that was begging to be written can wait. Instead I want to focus faith.I come back to some favourite bible passages over and over again and this is no exception. Psalm 1 talks about a person who delights in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.When I take that advice, digging deep into God’s way of doing things, faith is somehow less difficult. The risk factor of stepping out into the unknown isn’t scary at all because, well, it isn’t a “risk” or “unknown”! Just as with pilots flying aircraft whether full of passengers or close to other planes looping through the sky, the risk and fear really isn’t there because they have been there so many times before, dwelling deep into their training, knowledge and experience.Once faith is part of daily life in that way, it really is a beautiful thing to see and can be stretched to produce seemingly impossible results.