Turbulence

Our little family is spending the Thanksgiving holiday with my side of the family this week. I'll definitely post some pictures of our time here when we get back to Louisville! 

Joshua is joining me and Samuel this afternoon as he had some work and school things to wrap up in KY. We are SO excited to see him and have missed him so much! Samuel and I took a very early flight on Friday morning, which was really smooth (Samuel makes flying with a baby seem easy. Eucharisteo.) However, as we neared the end of our two flights and were descending in to the Daytona Beach area, we hit some pretty intense turbulence. I love flying but when we go through clouds, my face turns white, I begin to sweat, and life suddenly becomes very serious and precious to me. Well, as Samuel was cooing and entertaining the other passengers, we hit a cluster of clouds (which felt like a mountain range) and the bumping began. I held on tight and looked around. Was anyone else clutching the arm rests and whispering prayers?! Get a grip, Mer.

After things leveled off and I was confident the plane wasn't going down, I began to think rationally again. I began thinking about my own reaction to turbulence on the plane as well as the "turbulence" of life. How can I be so faithless at times, worrying about the future, and allowing myself to be troubled in my spirit? Then I looked at Samuel who was still sitting there as content as could be, trusting in his momma to protect him and care for him. Through the bumps, he kept his smile and composure, unmoved by the potential chaos around him. I thought, "wow, if only I trusted my heavenly Father with such simple and child-like faith..." And how much more does God care for me and every detail of my life than I even do for Samuel! That is absolutely unfathomable to me, but it brings me great joy and comfort. 

I don't want to be like Peter, who, "when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30). Here, Jesus had just walked on the water and Peter asked Jesus if he could walk to Him. Instead of keeping his eyes and faith on Jesus, he shifted his attention to the circumstances where Peter began fretting and not trusting in the Lord. I want to look to Jesus with eyes of faith and trust, knowing that He is taking hold of me and directing each of my steps. 

God is so faithful to give us little lessons in everyday life of His goodness in our lives. May I always focus on the author and finisher of my faith, persevering in trusting Him!

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
   From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
   who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
   the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life. The LORD will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 121