A Late Flight Of Unexpected Wonder

I remember where I was last year as New Year’s 2024 arrived. I was staring out from the window seat of a Southwest Airlines jet on its final descent into St Louis Lambert Airport from Houston Hobby Airport. Fireworks sparkled across the city. Our sparsely filled flight sang Auld Lang Syne and cheered. Touchdown was at 12:03 a.m. The air control tower videoed our landing as the first of 2024 at Lambert and posted it on social media. A bummer situation had turned magical.

This is my photo on the final approach from my window seat into St Louis on Jan 1, 2024, at 12:01AM. Scattered fireworks flash too quickly for pictures, plus lots of city lights, but you get the idea.

The truth was we were late. We had booked our flights from Houston Hobby with an arrival that should have delivered us in time for the ball drop with loved ones. Of course, it was the cheapest and latest flight of the day. We were flying on a holiday and hiccups happened. The problem was winter weather delays for the airplane all day. When we boarded, the pilot apologized but gave us a consolation prize. The jet stream should speed us northward, helping us land at the ‘Lou in record time with the bonus of being the first 2024 landing at Lambert. The flight was roomy. Everyone was instructed to take a window seat to see sparkly fireworks over St Louis on the final approach. And that’s exactly what happened. This was probably the only fun for our pilot after a challenging day.

Life challenges us with interruptions, delays, heartache, and detours. In the Christian walk, our faith guides us toward the expectation that God could somehow redeem our frustrating stations in life. Some hiccups are of our own doing. Other challenges we face are totally unexplainable and crushing. Whatever we have been dealt, God is not absent, God is with us. We are not alone.  

In Isaiah 41, God comforts the Israelites scattered in the diaspora through extreme enemy oppression. Even in the extreme circumstances of the Israelites, God had not abandoned them. God’s presence is with them, aching with them, waiting for their hearts to return to God, to gather them together, restoring justice for them. Isaiah 41:10 states:

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

 do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

 I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

In all that you endure in life, and for whatever reasons, know you are not alone. God is hanging in there with you, piloting you home, hopefully with a window seat filled with magical, unexpected wonder.