Direction, Clarity & Confirmation...of Flight 212

Just two weeks ago I flew to Milwaukee to do some school assemblies with a very good friend of mine from Montana. When making flight arrangements I usually work at eliminating all delays, connections or flights not usually on-time. I'm really not a fan of waiting I guess...for Dr. appointments or anything else. But on occasion, despite my best of intentions or meticulous planning...delay's happen.

I guess the most annoying of delays is the ones in which you are not informed of. It's little bits of valuable info that I crave...how long...why...what are we doing in the meantime. When dealing with airlines it seems like Air Traffic Control is king. Sure you can ask other passengers on the journey with you, the stewardess, the captain...but it's only "the tower" that really knows what's going on.

I think I am definitely on a plane...waiting to land, for a year. Yes twelve months of being delayed or circling the runway in a holding pattern is enough! Let's land already! Well there are certainly several good reasons not to land yet, and we can imagine several that would have to do with safety and the right timing.

Well...today the tower called out of the blue...just for me. It was like the captain came up to me personally on the phone and said, "Sir, I know you have been thinking about CLARITY, DIRECTION, etc...just wanted you to know things will happen." There was more to this, but essentially it was someone I had never met, who had me on their heart specifically, to ask me some pointed questions that I had been thinking. For me it was a confirmation from the tower..."Flight 212...we have you in a holding pattern for a specific purpose, your direction and the location for your landing is coming." Wow...I'm not alone or forgotten in the air!

I think God is Air Traffic Control...sometimes we have no idea in the plane what's going on on the outside, and rarely we get a glimpse of the sophistication that the Lord is arranging for our safe landing in the location specifically prepared for us.

This may not make a lot of sense just yet...just wait...the story of destiny will be amazing when this plane finally does land...the runway is just not ready yet.

Lonely...but not really alone.

I wonder how many people among the over 8.5 million that call New Jersey their home, or for that fact the 6,807,900,000 people living in the world today that feel they are...lonely. The reason I think about this is because I do feel...lonely, even while being surrounded by family, wonderful friends that I do not see often enough or share deeply enough with. Truth be told... I long for friendship, love, passion even, support, encouragement...that "to be fully known, and fully know" type thing. I find it amazing that we can in fact be "lonely", and yet in fact be surrounded by so many.

This morning I sat contemplating in the form of a spiritual quiet time...life. My reading brought me to Matthew 1:23 "and they shall call His name Immanuel", which is translated "God with us". Max Lucado points out that the "Immanu" means "with us", and "El" refers to Elohim, or God. We understand that to be "God with us". You know what?,...I LOVE for someone to be "with me". When the kids were little it was easy to get them to go "with me" to Home Depot, always eager for a trip to anywhere. My youngest daughter when she was about 5 even went "with me" to a garden show at an expo center to look at flowers and landscape designs...a memory I still cherish.

"With us" and "with me". I think the truth is the solution to my "loneliness" is found in understanding and living by the truth that God...truly is "with me"...everywhere at all times in all places. Even in the midst of my temporary thoughts of loneliness I am truly not alone. So in light of this...I must seek Him out. The difference between God and a spouse or friend is that He is always available to respond to our need of championship. So Lord today I cry..."Come and dwell in the midst of us...me". Allow me to reflect to your creation your friendship, love and value of being "with us" to all who are seeking and need to know you are there and the answer to our...loneliness.