After a few moments of processing, my inner voice screamed out a panicked realization; A FLAP MALFUNCTION!!!!  I’m taking a break from 2 Samuel today and giving you a peek into my journal from a recent trip to Malawi, Africa

My Africa Journal

July 31, 2016 – My flight was Houston to Amsterdam to Nairobi, Kenya to Lilongwe Malawi with a brief scheduled stopover in Lusaka, Zambia. The flights were long but uneventful until we were only a few hundred miles from Lilongwe, Malawi. I am almost to my final destination where my dear friend, Pastor Charles Tsukuluzu, will pick me up at the airport and our ministry adventure will begin. But before we arrive in Lilongwe, my Kenya Airlines flight was about to touch down in Lusaka, Zambia for a one-hour stopover. The plane began its final descent when suddenly it pulled up, accelerating back into full flight. The pilot announced with a rather monotone voice, that they had to pull up because of a flap malfunction and would circle while troubleshooting. Hmmmmm. My brain was processing this casual announcement from the pilot. A flap malfunction? Hmmmmm, A flap malfunction. After a few moments of processing, my inner voice screamed out a panicked realization; A FLAP MALFUNCTION!!!! I tried to talk myself through it. No problem…..no worries….how important can a flap be? I’m not an expert in the aerodynamic engineering of airplanes but my intuitive assumption is a flap is probably pretty important for landing.

During the next 15 minutes (a long 15 minutes they were) of circling Lusaka, Zambia I considered the following:  loving thoughts toward my wife, children and grandchildren, life insurance, wills, regrets, accomplishments, loving relationships, relationships I hadn’t kept up with, people I would like to see again and of course things I wish I had done that I never got around to doing.  Finally, after many minutes of fretting, I thought maybe I should consider the “peace that comes from knowing the absolute love and care of my Sovereign God.” That’s right, God is in control. Let’s allow God to give me the peace He has promised and trust him, no matter what. I wonder if I can do that, I thought?Just then, the pilot announced resolution and we landed without incident.

Whew! After 15 minutes of circling Lusaka, I finally got to the thoughts of “the peace that passes all understanding” by clinging to the Sovereignty of God in my life.  And I arrived at those thoughts moments before the announcement of resolution. Just in time!!! My last-minute realization of God’s presence and peace taught me a very important lesson. Maybe I don’t trust God as much as I really should when real life issues hit me in the face. So, although I’m embarrassed it took me 15 minutes of panic to get there, I’m glad to say I eventually pulled God into the equation……. because after all, I am on a Mission Trip 🙂

I finally landed in Malawi at 2am local time. Have you ever felt that pit in your stomach when all the luggage on the plane has come out on the conveyor belt and everyone on your flight is gone—-and your luggage isn’t there? I had checked two bags all the way through from Houston to Lilongwe. One bag was supplies for our missionaries in Malawi and the other was my suitcase. I worked with a man to fill out the forms. I gave him the name of the hotel I would be staying at for the next couple of days and he said he didn’t need it. I said, “how are you going to deliver it”? He smiled at me and said (this is the absolute truth with no embellishment) “in other countries they deliver it, in Malawi you have to come back here and get it”. At least he smiled, a bit wryly, but a smile nevertheless! Oh well, my bags didn’t arrive but I did!