John squirmed with unbridled energy in the seat beside his dad, a far cry from his usual afternoons filled with adventure and play. Here he was, confined to a cramped seat which was a stark contrast to what would usually be his playtime now.
His displeasure erupted in tears and restlessness. Tugging at his dad’s shirt, he pleaded desperately to escape the clutches of what his father called an ‘airplane’. Peering out the window, he was greeted by an abyss of darkness – night had cloaked their surroundings.
Suddenly the airplane jolted into motion, sending John into a frenzy of fear. Why was the world shifting beneath him? Panic surged through him, his cries amplifying in a plea for relief from this unnerving experience.
As the airplane steadied, John’s sense of entrapment deepened. He yearned to dash away, to be anywhere but here. Yet he remained bound to his seat.
His father made continuous efforts to soothe and engage him, offering activities to divert his attention. But John was relentless, his focus fixed on the discomfort enveloping him. Doubts crept in – did his father truly care? Wouldn’t he rescue him from this ordeal if he did?
As his doubt questions perpetuated, he found himself thinking “why would my father make me suffer as such? Does he really love me?”
Time crawled, and the airplane took another alarming tilt. John’s scream pierced the air. But soon, the journey ended, and he found himself disembarking into a new, enchanting world. Surrounded by joyous faces and captivating sights, his fears of the flight vanished.
John’s eyes sparkled with discovery. He realized what his father had known all along – the destination was indeed worth every moment of the journey, no matter how daunting it seemed.
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.“
– 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Perspective Matters
John’s first time on an airplane was filled with uncertainty, discomfort and a crippling fear of the unknown. All he felt during the journey was the “pain” that he was going through, but not so much the destination. Similar to this analogy, we might sometimes feel trapped in circumstances beyond our control and long for escape.
Just like John, we may even question: “why does my Father allow me to suffer? Does he truly love me?”
As Christians, these are the moments that define our faith in God. It’s easy to have faith when everything is smiles & sunshines, but the moments where we experience suffering is when we are truly put to the test. We may not know exactly
Managing Risk & Staying Faithful In Uncertainty
John’s initial discomfort and fear on the airplane reflect our own reactions when facing unfamiliar challenges. Life often presents us with ‘flights’ that we didn’t plan or expect:
- Personal trials such as illness, loss, or hardship.
- Transitions in life stages, careers, or relationships.
- Calls to new opportunities that require stepping out of our comfort zone.
It is impossible for one to be fully prepared for everything that could happen in life. There are just so many risks that we face every day, so many factors that lie beyond our control. The only way to be truly certain in an unpredictable world is to have a foundation that is never changing no matter what storms may come – and that foundation for us is God.
When we place our faith in Him and allow him to shape our lives, that’s when we no longer have to worry about not having control. By “surrendering our control” to Him, we are actually taking back certainty into our lives.
