Shake, Rattle, And Roll

In 1974 we headed to The Philippine Islands where Joel was being stationed to forecast weather for the base and military pilots. As a family of four, we flew in a plane for 18 hours over mostly water. Before getting on a plane, we drove to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento and then had our car shipped over.  From there we flew from San Francisco to Fairbanks Alaska and then to Japan.  From Japan we flew into Clark Air Base, Angeles City, The Philippines. Landing on the island of Luzon required expertise skills. While landing at Clark, the pilot had to reverse the engines, making the plane shake hard.  As it vibrated I looked over at Joel for reassurance, trying to keep the panic out of my eyes, but he looked a bit apprehensive himself.  It really felt like the plane was shaking apart!  The vibrating continued for what seemed like forever, and then we zipped down, landing on the runway.  Even with the oppressive humidity and heat hitting us like a brick wall when we stepped off the plane, we were so grateful to be on the ground!

Clark Air Field and Mt. Pinatubo 

(volcano that erupted in 1991 destroying the base)

I have never forgotten that experience.  It has come to mind often over the years and I have used it as an analogy for life a few times.  Often we are going along at a good pace, thinking we will soon arrive at our destination, reaching our goals, and then all of a sudden, things began to abruptly come to a halt.  We feel like we are standing still and our world is shaking apart.  We are sure we are going to crash and burn..........and then what looks like a disaster in the making or the end of our hopes and dreams,  our Lord ends up using to help us come in for a safe landing.  When we look to him, we find our peace.

Since that day in the Philippines we have had many experiences that relate to that one shaking plane.  The death of a son, a threat on Joel's life, our years of disabling Lyme Disease, financial challenges, are just a few.  Certainly, if you have followed my blog you know that this past year has been a lot like the first shake-up we had in the plane.  We were going along with a goal in mind, moving to Gold Canyon Arizona.  We believed God was directing us there, we had prayed, and laid a fleece, all with answers coming that kept us going forward. And then breast cancer.  We were in mid air with the "plane" shaking and we were worried a crash was imminent.   And yet, while on that "shaking plane" God came and calmed us.  He walked us through the crisis one day at a time, the "plane" landed and we found solid ground to stand on.  God's promises, a good surgeon, the prayers of others, a best case diagnosis, and the support of friends and family all  gave us strength.

Our plane ride and scary landing in The Philippines is a great story to share, but so are the stories that speak of God walking with us through tough times.  They are all wonderful examples of how our journey through life requires the help of Papa God.  We can trust that we will not be left alone and to our own devices when surprises come our way. Even when things seem to shake, rattle, and roll, He is with us and the "plane" will land.