From the Window Seat

Last week I was able to sneak away for two nights to join my husband at a conference in San Diego. It was a brief but relaxing trip. Flying back and forth cross country in 48 hours, however, had taken its toll by the time our airplane was preparing to land in Atlanta. I was beginning to get restless, crammed into the innermost seat of my row.

I looked out the window in search of a diversion and found beauty.  Just ahead of us and to my left was another Delta plane preparing for arrival. The sunset cast a golden orange that made everything appear a bit softer and warmer. I watched for a bit, noticing the smooth lines of the plane's exterior as it floated towards its destination. I pondered the miracle of it all--sunsets, human beings flying through the air, all the productivity and planning that was taking place in the city below, the intricacies and impressiveness of modern technology.

And then it hit me. From the perspective of the passengers on the plane I was marveling at, my fellow travelers and I were the miracle.

Inside and up close, I felt antsy and uncomfortable in the stuffy cabin after a long journey, but from the distance of outside looking in, we were glorious. Ironically, the people inside the aircraft I was admiring off to the left likely felt just as I did. Maybe someone on that flight was looking out in our direction considering how smooth, seamless and picturesque our approach appeared.

The lesson was clear. In the momentary reality of hassles and discomfort it is hard to see the wonder of what is happening...but from a distance, as the whole scene is considered? Wow. As a Mama firmly in the midst of it...middle school, middle age, the second decade of marriage...this metaphor really resonated with me.

This life is a miracle for more reasons than I can count and yet many times I am focused on my current circumstances--rising and falling on the headlines of the moment, my own fears and discomfort--and I miss the awe and wonder.

Much is made of how social media is to blame, but frankly, it is the human condition. Forget the media, these same feelings can be stirred in carline, across a church sanctuary, and in a grocery store. We are keenly aware of our own struggles inside the plane. These concerns can dominate our thoughts and prayers, but if we focus too long on them we miss the glorious miracle of the bigger picture unfolding.

I strive to be a person that marvels at the wonder and beauty all around me--the life, love, laughter, community, growth, talent and overcoming inside my cramped metaphorical main cabin. But I also want to be one who can celebrate rather than compare when I glance across the way and see the glory in other marriages, families, people.

As we approach this season of Thanksgiving, perhaps it is a timely reminder to recognize and point out the wonder we recognize in other people's lives. May we retrain the eyes of our hearts and then bless others with the gift of our perspective. It may be just the encouragement they need as rough turbulence and feelings of discomfort have certainly marked their journeys as well.