Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Reflection:
Airplanes are a weird place to be. If you think about it, humans were not “meant” to fly. We do not have wings, and our lungs cannot handle such high altitudes on their own. Yet, we have found a way to soar through the skies. It is unnatural, however we do it frequently (less so nowadays) without much thought.

Sometimes when I am on an airplane, though, I swear I can feel the 30,000 feet between me and the ground. In an instant, I can feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of my situation…physically…but also emotionally. I think of all the ways in which I am small and lacking control. But then I remind myself that—regardless how much I fret—this big, powerful, mysterious machine is going to do exactly what it was designed to do: keep me up in the air.

In Amy Poehler’s hilarious memoir, Yes Please, she outlines a list of reasons we cry on an airplane. (Never cried on an airplane before? I encourage you to try it. Apparently it’s a thing.) The sixth item on her list is, “We feel like time is suspended and therefore we can feel real emotion without consequence.”

I think worshipping God can be that way, too. In the moments we dedicate to our relationship with Christ, we are present without the regular distractions of the world: the less-holy pillars on which we so often lean. But when we pause to really comprehend our true reality and the things that propel us through life, we are given the opportunity to question what is keeping us afloat. And that can be a lot to process…

The beauty of this charge is that no matter how big the space between our feet and the ground may seem, we have the chance to examine how God is working through us. God’s grace is extended to us in every circumstance, even in times of anxiety. Worship requires a level of vulnerability unlike any other action; we are asked to come before the Lord with our burdens laid out, completely absorbed by the blessed community in Christianity and intimacy with our creator. When we allow ourselves to trust in God’s piloting, we can kick back and enjoy the view from above. 

Prayer: 
Dear God, thank you for navigating us through life. Help us to lean into every obstacle or challenge we face with resilience and faith, knowing you are guiding us to great things. Forgive us for the times in which we are ungrateful. May we focus on the glorious wonder of a life lived following you. Amen.