Assurance during rough turbulence

Several years ago, when I was flying as Captain on a Boeing 757, we were returning to Atlanta from Puerto Rico. It had been a fairly smooth flight, but the air traffic controller called us just north of Daytona Beach and said to expect moderate or greater turbulence ahead. I called back to the cabin flight attendants and told them to stop serving and sit down. Then, I made an announcement to tell the passengers what to expect. About 20 minutes later we ran into an area of very rough turbulence. It was some of the most violent turbulence I had ever been in. The copilot was operating the controls and did a great job controlling the airplane. I once again spoke to the passengers on the public address system and gave them assurance that we would be out of the rough air soon, that everything was operating ok, and we would be fine.

When we landed, the copilot and I got many hugs from passengers and flight attendants to thank us for getting them through the rough air safely. They said that they were comforted by me talking to them through the ordeal, and as a result they felt better about us having control, during the event.

Once upon a time there was a man named Job who went through some really rough turbulence in his life. He lost almost everything he owned, and almost all his family. In the Bible, in the Old Testament we find the saga of this fellow, in the Book of Job. You are probably familiar with the story. Well, Job's friends came over to try to help Job figure out what he had done to cause all of these calamities. After many chapters of dialogue, in which Job and his friends debated all sorts of nonsense, God shows up. All of their squabbling back and forth is hushed by the extended dissertation of the Lord Almighty. The one who answered Moses I AM that I AM, makes it painfully obvious, that He knows what He is doing and is in total and absolute control of all celestial and terrestrial circumstances.

This reminds me of the story of the little boy playing with a toy airplane in his seat in the back of an airliner, while it is going through some rough turbulence. The nervous lady sitting next to the little boy was annoyed because the little boy was not scared and finally said to the little boy, “stop playing with that airplane, what’s the matter with you; aren’t you scared?!” The little boy just smiled and politely answered, “no ma’am, I’m not scared, you see, that’s my daddy up there flying the airplane”.

God’s answer to Job might seem a bit thorough, but Job had no doubt at the end of it, who was responsible for all things, including his own existence, and who was lovingly and carefully in control. There is comfort in that fact especially in times of “rough turbulence”.

Blessings,
George