Pilot Story

A missionary friend shared her airport experience in Harare, Zimbabwe. Everyone was checked into the flight, luggage on board. People filed onto the plane in an orderly manner, stowed their carry-ons and took their seats. The stewardess closed the airplane doors and set the locks. People buckled up, ready to go.

And then they sat. And sat. And sat.

As the sun beat down on that plane, the inside temperature rose. What are we waiting for? How long are we going to sit on the tarmac in this heat?

Someone knocked on the side of the airplane. No one answered. The last thing anyone wanted to do was open the door and have another passenger board. Again, that knock, knock, knock. Curious, someone looked out a window. Who was knocking? It was the pilot.

As she told the story, I wondered how many times I’ve gotten onboard an idea, taken my seat, buckled up and been ready to take off, into the wild blue yonder on my own power to get where I thought I needed to go. How far do you think I got?

An airplane can take off, fly and land safely when a pilot is in control. The pilot knows the aircraft, what it was built to do.

Life is the same way.

Do you want to get to where you were meant to go? You’d better make sure Jesus is in the pilot’s seat.