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Jet Cabin
Photo credit: FriasFoto via Pixabay
Adjusting on the Fly
I flew on the fateful weekend of January 23-25 from Traverse City, MI, to Louisville, KY, to present one of the seminars at the tri-annual North American Division Radio Conference. The rain, ice, and snowstorm covered 2,300 square miles and has been called the largest single storm on record. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but it was big enough! The experiences I had during that travel were a reminder of the battle fought over each one of us between Jesus Christ and His enemy, Satan.
My wife and I left our home at 3:40 am to catch my 6 am flight. As we passed through our little town of Mesick, MI, our truck stalled and would not restart. We were just off the road, across from the travel center at the junction of M37 and M115, that's a dangerous spot when it’s minus 5° F and that's less than minus 20° F with the wind-chill and blowing/falling snow. After rescheduling to a 5:45 pm flight, we were impressed to try starting the truck again, and it started right up. We moved to the travel center and backed into a spot to optimize the towing setup for later. The truck kept running, and I prayed, “Lord, if you want me to drive this truck to the airport, have it keep running after two more minutes of idling here. If not, stall it.” The truck stalled right at 2 minutes. I told my wife, “That’s clear; we’re not driving this truck to the airport.”
I texted Joy, who lives near Mesick and rises early, to see if she could help us. While she was preparing to help, we pulled out the sleeping bag we carry in the truck and used it to retain our heat, as the temperature was dropping. Despite the cold, our heavenly Father took care of us. While we waited, I was able to start the truck and run it with the heat on for 2-4 minutes before it stalled again, due to what seemed like an electrical issue. This cycle happened 6-7 times and helped, us avoid becoming chilled.
Joy dropped me off at the airport about 6:30 am, and I set up in the airport lounge to work. I went to the Delta ticket counter and noticed that my flight had been delayed to 6:30 – ah, so close! I later took the noon flight to Detroit and had a deep, Biblical conversation with a man named Justin. We talked about a wide array of topics, many of which were tied to God’s character of love. He thanked me as we landed at Detroit, saying he almost never has such great conversations on Scripture and that he was greatly blessed. I thanked him and shared that I considered our conversation the reason I missed my 6 am flight. I prayed with him, and then he dashed off to catch his connecting flight to North Carolina.
I later spoke to the gate agent to arrange rebooking to an earlier flight to Louisville, and a woman sitting near the counter overheard our conversation. She said, “I was on that flight you missed, and on the 8:30 a.m. flight to Louisville that you were to catch. We landed when that flight was taking off, so you're not further behind for missing it.”
Adjusting on the fly–do, you have peace in such moments.
Later on while in flight, we approached the runway to land in Louisville. I noticed that the pilot had to accelerate and gain altitude several times when we got below 2,000 feet near the runway. He had to correct several times for sudden drops or crosswinds. That pilot knew the route, had flown it many times, yet unexpected things were thrown at him.
This travel experience reminds me of life. We make our plans, seeking God’s guidance, and unexpected things happen. Do we fret about what to do, or use the faith and strength we are given by God? Do we, by His grace, press forward with quiet confidence in Him? He calls upon His infinite resources [people, equipment, funds, circumstances…] to take care of us and make us a blessing in the process.
Strong Tower Radio is one of those resources that God has raised up, and that God uses daily to bless people with the life-saving truth as it is in Jesus. Thank you for being a part of the mighty army that keeps all 32 STR stations on the air, broadcasting the everlasting gospel 24/7/365. Many are tuning in, and many lives are being changed, one day at a time. Keep pressing forward with quiet confidence in Him, even as we, too, must sometimes adjust on the fly. Jesus is returning soon; let’s lean into Him by faith now!
Kam Ferguson
Development Director
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