By Our Travel Contributor, Alex Gonzales
Airports.
You either love ‘em or ya hate ‘em.
Everything about airports is either this way or that way: act overly friendly towards TSA or just be quick, smooth, so very Bond-esque towards TSA; take a right to Terminal A or a left to Terminal Z; a McDonalds cup of joe or a Starbucks frappe (neither, please); put phone on Airplane Mode or neglect it all together (I am still unsure of the purpose of that). All I am saying is that it never ends. Decisions.
As I sit in my terminal and watch everyone lugging their luggage and walking their walk, they are not ‘this way or that way.’ Maybe they are mentally for trivial reasons like stated above, but other than that, they are pointedly headed to their terminal and then to a destination, a physical place on the globe. They do not make a choice in destination when they board the place, but accept the knowledge of the destination. And here is the thing about traveling to tangible destinations: it requires one to know—know where they are going, know why, and know their plans. I know I am heading back home because school has ended, summer is here, and I am now a broke college kid in need of a job. In terms of intangible, mental, spiritual destination, I got nothing. I am a college kid with no clue of where my life is headed. Old news, right?
I have come to realize that following God’s love to the ends of the earth means laying one’s will at the foot of the cross and letting God’s Will take center stage. When fully participating in God’s Will, it is easy to forget the little detail that you will have no idea what God’s plan is ever; therefore, you have no plans. And that is where I have gotten lost with no spiritual destination in sight.
As humans, we want to know. All these physical, earthly things call out for our knowledge, and we just eat it up. Our problems lie when we try to intermingle the tangible destinations with the intangible destinations. But God says, "No…do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing...But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...” (Mt. 6: 25, 33).
I realize now I was looking at my spiritual destination all-wrong. We are all looking at this hesitation and uncertainty in our lives in a glass half-empty approach. There is another way, and it’s a full Chalice of Salvation.
Here’s the half-empty view: Your plane has landed. You set foot upon a seemingly endless plain of perfectly green grass. The sky is perfectly blue, and the birds are chirping songs of perfection. Everything is perfect. All you could ever want, need and especially, know, is right in front of you. Here is the catch…God is nowhere to be found.
Now here comes the half-full glass view: Your plane crashes into a dark forest. It is dark; no stars, no moon. The only option is to take a wooded trail. Shadows surround you, frightening noises bring panic and fear. You have no idea where to go, what to do, and what will happen. But there is a stillness, a calmness, a peace that does not leave you, and it is Jesus Christ holding your hand, leading you, because he knows where to go, what to do, and what will happen.
Think about it: when we realize the glory of God fully alive and His awesome, endless love for us, is there anything better? Nothing can bring us down. It is like we are Rocky Balboa and “Eye of the Tiger” is our theme song and we're leaping across mountains. God’s love is utterly and completely beautiful, and coming to terms with that, I never want to lose His presence in my life. I will take the crashing plane over the perfectly endless blades of grass because I have Jesus’ hand to hold. Yeah, partaking in God’s Will is difficult. It is a road less traveled by, but, unlike your own earthly will, God is present.
Part of following God’s Will is not having a clue. Remember when you laid it all down at the foot of the cross? Leave it there. Do not turn around and pick it up, even if you think you are stronger now. Walk away from those earthly wants, those lonely green plains, and walk towards the hand the resurrected Jesus holds out to you, grab it, and let Him lead you. Our spiritual destination is fullness in the Kingdom of God, which is where our souls are destined. Heaven is the destination. Do not lose sight or knowledge of that because in reality, planes do not lead you to anywhere important. God’s will does.
