I have an acquaintance who disclosed some very sensitive information to me this morning. He’s going through a scary trial concerning the health of his grandchild. This is a guy who knows I am a Christian involved in ministry, even though he has never really shown much interest, until now. He was appealing to me to pray for his family.
When people ask me to pray for them, rarely do I make a verbal commitment to pray later. I take advantage of the moment and pray with them right away. First, because it’s too easy to forget later, and second, because two people praying together is powerful, and it shows people you genuinely care.
I placed a hand in his shoulder and we prayed. His love for his children was evident as he wept openly.
It’s in times like these that people recognize their fragile lives are in God’s hands.
Let me give you an example. I’m always amazed when I get on board a massive jet liner. It’s fascinating that it can even float at all. Once in the air, I wonder sometimes what the pilot must be up to. Does he just set it on cruise control and read a book?
“I could fly this thing,” I sometimes think to myself. All I’d have to do is make sure the instruments aren’t going too haywire and float along. Have you ever though that?
That suddenly changed a couple years ago when we flew through a thunderstorm. I was nervously looking out the window as we approached the storm, which extended for miles below us and miles above us, with giant swirling air currents that were thousands of feet across. That great big invincible plane suddenly felt about as big as a helpless ant adrift in the churning waters of Niagra falls.
As we were violently thrown around by the storm, I was extremely grateful that we had an experienced pilot to navigate safely through those clouds.
When life is going relatively smooth it’s easy for us to think that we are in control and keeping it all together. God is more like a co-pilot that does his job backing us up, who we occasionally have to give specific instructions to to keep things under control.
We even see bumper stickers that read “God is my Co-pilot.”
If God is your co-pilot, you’re in the wrong seat. You may not agree with that when the flight is smooth and turbulence is light, but a wait till the storm comes.
When the crisis hits, you will know that you really aren’t supposed to be the pilot after all. Your limited abilities are inadequate for the job. Time to turn over the controls.
You’ll be grateful and find peace when you are in His able hands.