Mon 060126

10AM....Although the six of our group who left yesterday are still in flight, somewhere between New Jersey and South Africa, I am just starting out today. Whereas the six drove together to Chicago yesterday, I am flying to Chicago out of our very own Eastern Iowa Airport. My excitement matches the other travelers at the airport

as I skip to the gate with my bag! Seriously, the family ahead of me at the baggage check area was saying how blest we are to live in Iowa and have access to such an airport with no lines (and they had driven to the airport from Waterloo, so a longer/more inconvenient drive than we have from Iowa City). Yes, I agreed - we are blessed. Blessed to have essentially no lines at baggage check or TSA, blessed to have such friendly TSA workers, blessed to be able to walk to any gate in 3 minutes or less. Blessed to have access to a plane that I didn't have to design, with wing flaps that divert the air around the wing as necessary to allow the airplane to generate the lift needed for safe takeoffs and landings. And who do you suppose gave man the creative ability to design this? Our ability to design airplanes is a gift from our Creator, who designed us....

We take off and before I know it we are crossing the beautiful Iowa River - meandering through the Iowa countryside and the city of Cedar Rapids, providing water, sustaining life.  Who do you suppose designed the Iowa River and filled it with water?

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:9-10)

And then there were the checkerboard of farm fields....Who do you suppose gave us the fertile land?  And the seeds to plant in it?

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 

(Genesis 1:29)

Pretty soon, we landed at O'hare with its construction of new terminals, a multi-billion dollar expansion project. Yes, one can view it as an inconvenience, a massive cost, added congestion. Or, one can view it as a blessing - God providing for his people as they connect with other people throughout the world to bear his name and proclaim His amazing blessings...

 As I was sitting on the runway in Chicago, waiting for a gate to open up, I received a message from Anita that they had landed in Johannesburg.  And from Pastor that he had received text messages allowing them to check in for their Airlink flight from Johannesburg to Manzini (Eswatini). He said that the check in process had been easy and direct.....I thought about our group - at two different airports, halfway around the world from each other. And yet one God watching over, protecting us, guiding our travel. 

We are United as children of God...(pun intended...)

Pretty soon the plane to Newark was boarding, and we were taxiing out of the city of Chicago, 

and then just 2 hours or so later we were approaching Newark. The heavens above, a layer of clouds, and rolling hills, forests and fields below.

then descending over Newark Bay

Below were large cargo ships loaded with shipping containers - I wonder if I saw that ship in Panama....

Soon, I will board a plane for Johannesburg. It's a little farther than Panama. But I will be just as close to the Lord there as I am here or in Panama. Distance is not a barrier for the Lord. 

Next time you are on an airplane, rather than focusing on the flight delays, the long lines, and the gate changes, look around for the blessings the Lord puts in front of your eyes, and give him thanks. He is with you, protecting you, sustaining you, the earth you walk on, the heavens you fly through - He stretched them out and they are His. The clouds you see He has sent to water the earth. 

How good it is to sing praises to our God,

hhow pleasant and fitting to praise him!

HHe covers the heavens with clouds;

    he prepares rain for the earth;
    he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
    and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.

(Psalm 147:1, 8-11)