Years ago I flew in a four passenger plane. There were two Bible college students (I was one of them) and two professors, one of whom was an experienced missionary pilot. It was a memorable trip, but the thing that sticks in my mind the most was the actions of the professor behind me.
He was a brilliant man. He knew the New Testament better than I ever will. But he was scared. Not of flying–of crashing.
He was ok while we were in the air, but when we began our descent I felt my seat back move back. He had grabbed the seat with both hands and was squeezing it with such force it sunk back to half it’s width.
He knew it wouldn’t help. If the plane crashed, the seat would certainly go down with it! And yet he grasped that seat as though it was the only thing keeping him alive.
How often do experience fear, and the need to grasp something to hold on to–something to give us the feeling that we will be ok.
Money, house, car, job, friends–even the church. We grasp so many things.
But if we crash, they will all go with us. And if we rely on them, we insure we will crash.
There is only one who will not crash. There is only one we can rely on when it feels like we’re spinning into the earth.
The problem is fear. If we let go of that which we are grasping, it is scary. It can even be terrifying.
It requires trust. Trust that when we let go we won’t fall. Trust that when we grab him, he won’t fall. Trust that we can stay with him.
Faith is easy, right up until you need it.
Then it is hard.
But Jesus will not crash, and he not only lets us grab hold of him–HE grabs hold of us as well.
