"Regret comes in all shapes and sizes. Some are small , like when we do a bad thing, for a good reason. Some are bigger, like when we let down a friend. Some of us escape the pangs of regret by making the right choice. Some of us have little time for regret, because we're looking forward to the future. Sometimes we have to fight to come to terms with the past. And sometimes we bury our regret, by promising to change our ways. But our biggest regrets are not for the things we did... but the things we didn't do."
I thought about that quote today as I drove to the airport dropping a friend off. The airport is probably one of my favorite places in this world. I could sit there for hours and watch the people rush to get to their destinations, as well as seeing people arriving home. I enjoy seeing all the different people interact with one another. It seems that the airport is one place where differences are put aside and everyone is rushing towards one goal. Getting to their destination, safely. Putting all fears, beliefs and backgrounds behind. Whether that means they are going some place on vacation, following God for missions or just going home. Or maybe its more tragic. Maybe someone is running away, hiding from their past, hoping that when they arrive to wherever the plane lands everything will be different. The airport is a place of joy and sorrow. Fear and hope. I see each of those things each time a plane takes off and my mind wanders as to who is on that plane and where they are going.
Watching planes take off, shows me God. I picture His hand under each plane, gently gliding it upwards. I think its funny the things we are willing to do, and yet how the littlest things can scare us. According to flightware.com 49,000 commercial flights take off daily. That blows my mind. After everything that has happened dealing with planes, and just the fact in general that people are able to trust that a metal box can fly thousands of feet into the air for long periods of time: it gives me hope. I think fear and regret go hand in hand. We chose not to do things because we are scared of the outcome. We chose not to help, not to love because it scares us. But here is an idea. Every time a plane takes off, each time we hear the rumble of the engine above us; it is proof that God can take our fear and turn into hope. If we are willing to risk, if we are willing to fear, He will guide us the rest of the way. Taking the step is a hard decision to make. Trusting that where we will get off will be worth it is enough to make us change our plans. However, once in the air we are free, once we chose that fear is not an option but a feeling, we can't fall. And once our plane lands, regret is far from us and the fear that lurked on our shoulders is now found in the trail of the journey. Because stepping onto the plane is the hardest part. But maybe, the plane is a metaphor. What if stepping onto a plane, was giving ourselves completely and 100% over to Christ's plan. That wherever He wants to take us we will commit too. That whoever He has planned for our life, we trust is in that same plane with us, some who make lasting impressions while others are just there for small talk. That whatever turbulence we feel throughout the flight is all just apart of His plan. Sometimes wearing our seatbelt is necessary when other times the flight is smooth. That maybe the flight attendants act as angels, making our trip a little more comfortable. If that were true, would getting on the plane be as scary? Yes, probably. But through the fear we face in making a decision or a choice. His hands are always under us incase we fall. So what is there to be afraid of? If we don't take a step towards what we want, we may miss the plan God has set for us.
"we'll look toward the stars and dream that we're airplanes."
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