Friday, December 7, 2018

Psalm 18:1–20 
Amos 4: 6- 13 
2 Peter 3: 11-18 
Matthew 21: 33-46 

Psalm 18 immediately made me think of a night flight I completed as a student, flying with my instructor into Ottawa in the CT-114 Tudor jet aircraft. It’s a small but flexible jet which makes it not only a good aircraft for training but it is also the choice aircraft for the Snowbirds. Inadvertently we found ourselves in a thunderstorm with no other airports available. Thunderstorms are not the best environment to be in, particularly during an approach to a runway.

We were violently bounced around in the heavy winds and it was quite dark except for the dim lights of the instrument panel. The darkness was interrupted by the flashes of lightning which threatened to destroy our night vision and disrupt our radio signals. Our windshield and canopy were thick with water which, for a while, turned to hailstones. Suddenly there were blue flashes of light dancing on the framework of our windshield. It was a beautiful sight, difficult to describe. It is a phenomenon known as “St Elmo’s Fire” and is a rare occurrence.

Under the monitoring of my instructor, I concentrated and trusted the directions of the ground controller. After what seemed like a long time, we broke through the base of the cloud and right in front of us the approach lights flashed toward the runway which had parallel lights on each side. We landed safely.

The road of life is rough and smooth; the hills are up and down. There are bad times and good times, sad times and happy times. If we listen to God’s voice, He will lead us safely so that we will reach the final approach lights that will guide us to a safe landing.

–– Nora Bottomley