Notes from an Airport Pt. 2

A collection of stuff I wrote down through my recent trip to Utah...


I am caught up by the words, "And it came to pass"
The phrase is so widely used in scripture to start thoughts and transition between verses. Normally I just skim past it. But I realized that there is so much more meaning behind it.

It's simplicity reminds us that all things pass. Nothing is permanent unless we choose to make it seem that way. God extends His loving hands for us to use as both an anchor and a sail.
_____________________

A slim Asian man purrs and coos, his crying daughter resting against his shoulder. Her small hands wrap around his neck and meet at the foot of his balding head.
He is eternally patient, reassuring his restless child with a steady hand and fluid rocking motion. The window reflects a plane lifting off the runway from the other side of the terminal. He watches it glide softly through the air as the baby's cries subside.
_____________________

"When I was a child, my grandmother told me that the sky speaks to those who look and listen to it. She said, 'In the sky, there are always answers and explanations for everything; every pain, every suffering, joy, and confusion.' That night I wanted the sky to talk to me."
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
_____________________

Ether 2: 24
"For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the drains and the floods have I sent forth."
-So much beauty...
Anchor and sail.
_____________________

I push my eye lids together with unrelenting force as the plane begins its climb into the sky. "Be Still, My Soul" rings clear above the boom of the engine. I open my eyes to see illuminated cityscapes. There is a patchwork quilt of crisscrossing streets and newly paved parking lots. The stars cry out in unison to an empty night sky and my mind can relate.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
A fierce winter storm throws punches on both sides of the plane. My eyes can't focus on the world below with the constant turbulence-the cityscapes become long exposure light trails as my head bobs against the plastic window.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
My heart leaps at the thought. My mind is no longer running. I close my eyes and see God's arm outstretched from the heavens. Worldy thoughts and desires fall with the heavy snow outside. I am with my Savior, limp in his eternal arms, my head resting on his shoulder.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

My eyes open and I see.