What Air Travel Teaches Me About Trust

In the past thirteen days, I’ve flown eight times with seven different flight crews. One of those planes carried only four passengers and a two-man crew. The pilot and co-pilot played the role of baggage handler, hoisted the plane’s stairs up and locked the door prior to take-off, explained the safety rules to us, flew the aircraft, and took our picture beside the plane. They made us feel totally special.

I’m still chuckling about something that happened when we touched down at a teeny airport enroute to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The pilot stepped from the cockpit into the passenger area, careful not to smack his head on the door frame. He looked at us and said, “Does anyone need to use the washroom in the terminal? If so, go ahead. No need to rush. We’ll wait for you.” How’s that for customer service?

Another funny thing happened at a different teeny terminal. A few minutes before the scheduled time to board our plane, Gene asked the gal at the check-in counter where we might find the security area. She smiled and said, “There is none.” A fellow sitting nearby said, “Actually, I’m the security agent, and I think you look like a nice guy. Have a good flight.”

That stranger trusted us even though he knew nothing about us, and we trusted the pilots with our lives despite knowing nothing about them. And, I kid you not, one of them looked like he was too young to shave.

Who do we trust more?

We trust strangers every day—the folks who sit in the flight towers and give instructions to the pilots, bus and taxi drivers, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, plumbers and electricians who service our homes, weathermen, and the list goes on. Why, then, do we hesitate to trust the One who knows everything about us and whose intent toward us is good?

I suspect the problem lies with us, not with Him.

The Lord commands us to trust Him, and He promises good to those who do.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.”
(Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Our Savior is trustworthy

I’m totally okay with letting the pilots—even those who look too young to shave—fly the plane because they know more than I do about the controls. They’re skilled; I am not. I’m safe in their hands. I can close my eyes and rest while they steer the aircraft to our destination. And guess what? They can do a great job without my advice.

How much more can I – can we – rest in our Savior’s hands? He understands us better than we understand ourselves. He’s skilled at fulfilling His purposes in and through us. We’re safe in His hands. We can rest.