Those times when I'm flying I think about how the world is below me. Every state in America and every big city and small town... and beyond that, foreign countries and mysterious oceans. I stare out the window and think about how somebody might be looking up at the airplane that's taking me to another place... and how airplanes always appear to be going so much faster when you're on the ground looking up at them ;)
Whenever I fly I think about how chaotic some of the streets below me are. The ground, yellow lines on the roads with cars and bicycles weaving in and out of back streets and crossing those lines to get to where they need to be. And all the while I'm just floating over them higher than any mountain on earth. I listen to this song and there's a part where it says "as the dead moon rises and the freeways sigh, let the trains watch over the tides and the mist, spinning circles in our skies tonight". I ask the one who loves us to watch over the trains and cars and bikes beneath my seat... thousands of feet below me. Or maybe the sea. The ocean filled with life. Boats and ships gliding over waves, leaving trails of unsettled water. Then the song says "let Your love be strong and I don't care what goes down, let Your love be strong enough to weather through the thunder clouds"... and those words are perfect for airplane rides and perfect for making you feel all fluttery inside. Because come on, flying is so exhilarating and to think that He is watching over you, up so high in the sky and the rest of the entire world living out their lives below is beautiful.
Flying is like removing yourself from the world for a period of time. Up so high, you can't do anything but keep yourself busy while sitting silently in your seat. You have to wait until the plane lands to move on towards your destination and until then you're stuck at 30,000 ft. trusting a pilot to get you there. No wonder I feel like hugging the pilot when I'm walking off the plane at our gate. How often though do you get the chance to leave the surface of the earth for a while? How often do you get the chance to be above the clouds rather than underneath them? And looking at the ground rather than walking on it...? Like it or not, it's a pretty amazing privilege and I can't help but feel blessed when I get to fly. But don't get me wrong, I can so see how it can get boring and tiring (especially when it's an 11 hour ride and you have jet lag waiting for you on the other end) having to fly so much.
For me it's just enough. I'm not tired of it at all but it's not new to me anymore. I still love it though (even if it does freak me out a bit) and I'm happy that it's a small part of my life.
Next plane ride for me: Malaysia in December! Then on to Europe before flying home to Colorado just in time for Christmas with my family. SUPER excited.
Until then I've got a lot to accomplish here in Suzhou.
x, a
