A couple weeks ago I found myself on a plane to Nashville. I was about to spend a week there – partly to visit friends and then the other part to attend a conference for my job. I am one of the first people to board the plane so as I settle in to my seat I begin to watch the people that are coming on the plane finding their seats.
On the left side in the row in front of me I see a mother in the middle between two children. One is very young and is laying in a car seat next to her covered in a blanket. The other is a little girl, sitting on the end. She had to be about 2 or 3 years old and had to be one of the most beautiful children I had ever seen. She had caramel skin and brown curly hair that framed her little face. Her smile was infectious and I found myself smiling back at her. However my gaze was interrupted by an older man who was coming to sit next to me and so after smiling and saying hello I turned to look outside my window as he got settled.
As I watched the bags being loaded into the bottom of the plane my thoughts went back to the mother with her two children. I wondered where they were headed. Was Nashville home or just a visit?
Where was the father?
As if on cue, I heard someone address the man sitting next to me. "Excuse me, sir, if you don't mind, I was hoping I could switch seats with you. I am sitting directly behind you but you see those three beautiful people right there (as he pointed to the mother with the two children), that is my family and I just want to be a little closer to them."
My seat mate smiled a smile that said he understood this father's heart and said, "of course."
I smiled and my first thought was that his current seat, which was directly behind us, wasn't that far away from his family. But as my new seat mate got settled I saw his daughter turn around and smile at her father.
And then I realized, he can see them much more clearly now. And more importantly, she could now directly see him.
As I continue to watch them (inconspicuously mind you because I realize now I am borderline with being a bit stalkerish) I am captivated by what I see. As people are walking by his family, this father's eyes never leave his daughter. People are passing by her as they continue to board and he is completely watchful. Making sure no one bothers her and that she stays protected in her seat and not try to get out.
Then as the people are settled and "danger" has passed the father relaxes a little bit and closes his eyes to rest. But as if he knew exactly when his little girl was going to look at him he looks up and over at her…just in time for her to turn around and see his smiling face. She continues to do this every couple minutes as if just checking that her dad is still there.
And every time he is there waiting to meet her gaze.
As the plane takes off and we begin to soar high above the clouds my mind begins to think about how much I am so like that little girl.
Many times carefree, looking around with wide-eyed wonder, sometimes unaware of the darkness around me, constantly checking behind me to see if He is with me. To see if He is watching.
And every time, on cue, He is always there to meet my gaze.
At this point in the journey as I stare out the window the plane turns slightly and I can see the sun coming out from behind one monster cloud so that I can see it. Then it hits me.
Not only is He there to always meet my gaze but He is constantly positioning Himself closer to me so that He is always easy to find.
No straining. No searching. All I have to do is turn my head slightly around and He is there.
Just as this father was so in tune with his child that he would know down to the exact second when she would be looking over at him, so God is that in tune with us.
He is already anticipating every single thought, every single need, every single question I am going to have.
As I embark out into the unknown I have to remember that it is only unknown to me.
He already knows what is ahead and what is in store and He is preparing the way. All I need to do is make sure my gaze is fixed on Him and I will be well cared for every step of the way.
