Another plane trip! Another safety presentation! At least, this time, it was Qantas! Man, I love flying Qantas – especially after a long stint overseas! The second I hear that Aussie accent from the flight attendant, I find myself channelling my inner Peter Allen and launching into a strain of “I Still Call Australia Home!” And what can beat that first sight of Sydney out your aeroplane window! It’s enough to inspire a bit of Banjo Paterson romanticism!
But this was just a domestic flight, so let’s go crashing back to the reality of the safety presentation!
I watched the flight attendants execute the drill with practised precision and wondered to myself, “How many times have they done this?” Surely it would drive them mad having to perform this routine several times a day, every single day! I can imagine them performing it in their sleep – “Pull the oxygen masks from above you. Exits are here and here. In case of a blackout, follow these emergency lights on the floor.” And, while they’re faithfully re-enacting blowing up their life jackets, it’s also playing out on the screens in front of the passengers. There’s no escaping it! But I also reflected on the fact that Qantas has one of the best safety records and an excellent reputation at delivering their passengers to their destination alive and well! It’s not that they’re well experienced in crashing but in prevention and preparation of said event!
This is how a Kairos begins to form in my world. It occurs to me that the faithful execution of these checks and drills has borne great fruit – an enviable reputation in aviation built over many years. The same thing holds true for the faithful disciplines of prayer and devotions, of love and sacrifice, of kindness and service. The simple opening of the Word over breakfast, the tucking ourselves away in our secret place to pray, positioning ourselves in worship and discipleship – all become the safety drills of our souls. When turbulence hits, or we find ourselves on the threshold of life’s take-offs and landings, we have stewarded a vessel that is up for the challenges. In case of emergencies, we know instinctively how to cry out to God and activate His Word.
Jeremiah 6:16 says,
“This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls.”
I love that thought: we find rest for our souls when we walk in the ways of God. This is true rest. Jesus showed us how to walk. He not only showed us the good way but actually declared that He was the good way (John 14:6). When we model our lives on Him, we truly discover a rhythm of life that leads to beautiful places for our souls. When we walk in Him, we find the most awesome, life-giving, mystery-revealing, heart-satisfying, soul-fulfilling, world-changing way.
Having taken note of where to pull my lifejacket from, given the need, I nestled back into my seat, adjusted my headphones and thanked Jesus for providing a way back to the Father and for finding my ultimate rest in Him. It was a wonderful flight.