In Denver, Colorado, on December 20, 2008, around 6:18 p.m., a Continental Airlines jet aborted takeoff for some unknown reason and experienced an accident which caused the airliner to come off the runway and descend down a ravine (click on the title above and you can read the Denver Post article). It consequently came apart and caught on fire. 34 people were injured, but there were no deaths. This was for all involved an unexpected delay in the journey we call life. I am certain the families of those involved were all extremely alarmed, yet thankful that there was no loss of life in this tragic airline accident.
What this accident is exemplary of is the reality that unexpected events happen to us. How we respond to these events is what determines our character. If we respond with a lot of anger, disgust and bitterness towards those who have caused the delay, we may not understand what we were saved from. Perhaps, by being delayed at the beginning of the Continental Airlines flight, those on the flight were saved from being killed all together if the flight were to have taken off and crashed in route. We just don't know what would have happened. We only know that the pilot in his wisdom aborted the takeoff. He obviously saw something that wasn't right.
I was changing a switch fixture the other day and the wiring didn't look right. It had been there for 50 years in my parent's house. I told my parents that I felt safer if a hired electrician came and took a look at the switch housing and investigated the wiring. So they asked a friend of theirs, a retired electrician to come and look at the wiring. They were delayed in getting the switched fixed, but when the electrician came, he had to rewire the entire box as it had completely shorted out and had been on fire at some time, but the fire had gone out. Thankfully, my parents had been saved from any damage to their house. Sometimes, delays cause us to look more intensively into a problem in order to find the source of a deeper problem in order to fix whatever is wrong.
There are lots of things that happen to us that we cannot explain. Red lights or construction on the roadway often cause people to get angry because they are kept from getting to their destination. Instead of getting angry there is other responses that are possible. One could choose to take a moment to rest, to breathe, to realize that not all delays are meant to be impediments. Sometimes delays are moments forced upon us to cause us to rethink our direction. Sometimes delays are placed to keep us from accidents that would take our lives.
Sometimes delays are forced upon us because we are too hard headed to rest otherwise. Unexpected delays are not necessarily bad events. It is how we response to delay that proves who our character. This Christmas season, there may be many opportunities to experience delay, perhaps a crowded checkout line, a busy highway, a long travel line, etc., we have the perfect opportunity to display the true Spirit of Christmas and make a choice to respond rightly to the unexpected delays that are presented to us.
It is my prayer that the unconditional love of Christ Jesus be made known to you during this season and no matter what happens in your day to day lives, that you discover the true peace that comes with knowing a love that is deep and far and wide and fully capable of carrying you through any delay, any unexpected happening that may upset your life. May each delay cause you to see an opportunity to rest and take a second look at your direction and know that you have someone who wants your best helping you get to your destination safely.
With love and compassion,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
RamyB
