comfort, fear, problems, serving

 
A pastor = had been on a long flight between church = conferences...

The first = warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane = flashed on:  Fasten = Your Seat-Belts.  
Then, = after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving = the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little = turbulence.

Please be sure = your seat belt is fastened." 
  
As the = pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many = of the passengers were becoming = apprehensive. 

Later, the = voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we = are unable to serve the meal at this time.  The = turbulence is still ahead of us." 

And then = the storm broke.

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The = ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines.  Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and = within moments that great plane was as a cork tossed around on = a celestial ocean.  One moment the airplane was = lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it = were about to crash. 
  
The = pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of = those around him. 

He said, = "As I looked around  the plane, I could see that nearly = all the  passengers

were upset and = alarmed. Some were praying.  The future seemed ominous and = many were wondering if they would make it through the = storm. 
  
"Then, I suddenly saw a little girl.  Apparently the storm = meant nothing to her... 

She had tucked = her feet beneath her as  she sat on her seat; she = was

reading a book = and everything within her small world was calm and = orderly. 
  
"Sometimes she closed her  eyes, then she would read = again;

then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her = world. 

When =  the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm =  when it lurched this

way and that, = as it rose  and fell with frightening  severity, when =  all the adults

were scared = half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid." 

The minister = could hardly believe his eyes. 
  
It was = not surprising  therefore, that when the plane finally = reached its  

destination and = all the passengers were hurrying to  disembark, our = pastor

lingered to = speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long = time.  

Having  commented about the storm and the behavior of the  plane,

he asked why = she had not been afraid. The child replied,

"Cause my = Daddy’s the pilot, and he's taking me = home." 

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There are = many kinds of storms that buffet us.  Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily = and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into = apparently uncontrollable movement.  We have all known such = times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to = be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are = being tossed about a darkened sky. 
  
Let us = remember: Our Father is the Pilot.

He is in = control and taking us home.  

Don't = worry!