So there I was, in seat 1A on a commuter flight to Louisville, KY—my first time to be on an airplane in eight months. I was so excited!—silly, I know, but I have been a Wandervogel my whole life. I pursued an international career, and our family still loves to travel. Eight months confined to base has left me seriously restless.
When the plane turned onto the runway, I put down my book to look out the window. Hundreds of times I’ve experienced this moment, but I still love it. I’d been reading Earthy Mysticism, in which Tex Sample writes about seemingly ordinary moments when our awesome God overwhelms us with his presence. So now as the pilot shoves the throttles forward and we are pressed into our seats, there is a surge through my body; but what I feel is beyond an adrenaline rush—it is exultation! What I am shouting deep in my soul is beyond “Yippee!”—it’s “HALLELUIAH!” PRAISE the LORD!” I am almost in tears as the nose comes up. Then I feel God’s hands lifting our little Embraer into the sky. We are being carried into the heavens and it is glorious!
A few moments later, I try to wipe my tears on my sleeve, only to find my safety goggles awkwardly interposed—and our present reality rudely intrudes.
For a driven, task-oriented person, this prolonged period of confinement takes a psychological and spiritual toll. I wonder—is this what it feels like to be 9 ½ months pregnant? There is something waiting to be born inside of me. It is filling me, moving inside of me, making me feel awkward and heavy and lethargic. I’m full of anticipation; I’m ready to embrace this new life—but I’m SO tired of waiting. Whatever pain may lie ahead, whatever the new normal may look like, I just want to get on with it! Yes, I know that liminal space is holy space in which God can transform us—but enough already!
Unlike pregnancy, however, we cannot induce this moment. It will take as long as it takes. We do have agency in our personal lives, in our community and in our country—but we are confronted with our profound dependence on a power beyond ourselves, upon God. Humbling, right?
So, while awaiting delivery, may we be alert for those moments in mundane reality when the God of surprises suddenly floods us with exultation, love and loud “halleluiahs!”
Dan Harris
