Traveling Around the World With a Fear of Flying

One of my squadmates is afraid of flying. She obviously knew that traveling around the world to 11 countries in 11 months would involve some time in the air. And actually, she has traveled plenty before. She loves traveling and exploring, just not the plane ride that takes her there.

 

I’ve watched her face this fear several times in the last 5 months (among many other fears). Each time I’m impressed by her bravery. Recently we took a very tiny African plane from Chana to Cote D’Ivoire. It was only a couple of rows wide and the cabin is just barely tall enough for me to stand up straight. As we pulled up in the shuttle to this tiny plane, I knew she would be nervous about boarding.

 

She sat next to me on this tiny plane, eyes closed, hands clutching the armrests and prayers spoken earnestly to the Father. The plane obviously took off despite her fear. Being such a tiny plane, take-off was a little shaky, making her clutch the armrests a little tighter and I was struck by her bravery.

 

Fear didn’t win. She might be afraid, but she steps out bravely and doesn’t let fear slow her down. She holds fast to the Lord and keeps moving. Flight after flight, on major airlines flying across oceans or tiny sketchy planes between two neighboring African countries, she continues to show me what bravery looks like – showing up and leaning into the Lord despite the fear.

 

The Lord wants to take us on adventures to lots of places, and maybe the journey will be scary. Maybe you won’t be thrilled about it or maybe you will even be terrified. It might look like a smooth, calm flight through a bright blue sky, but it might also look like a turbulent flight through a stormy sky. Either way, we can hold fast to the Lord, trusting Him to bring us through it. Trusting that the destination and the adventure are well worth the moment of fear on the journey. Because fear doesn’t win.

 

Psalm 56:3-4 says:

            “When I am afraid,

            I put my trust in you.

            In God, whose word I praise,

            In God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

            What can flesh do to me?”

 

It doesn’t say if I am afraid, but when I am afraid. And when we are afraid the only thing to do is put our trust in the Father and praise Him for who He is.