I did better than this guy, at least. Picture courtesy of pxhere.com, a website dedicated to non-copyrighted images.

May 8, 2026 / 0 comments

… on a plane – with a little help

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

  • Psalm 34:18

Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.

  • Psalm 41:1

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

  • Isaiah 41:10

The New Boilerplate

My wife filled a small book with “Angel” on the cover.  It was hidden with a box of crafting things.  On 18 July 2025, I thought I had posted the last of these.  But this little angel book held a prayer, followed by 71 quotes.  So, the “with a little help” series is back in business for a while.  And it will be fun for me.  She did not attribute any of the quotes.  The first quote was from James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the USA.  The next one was disputed, with some thinking it originated with Teddy Roosevelt and others saying Fred Astaire.  After the prayer, these might be on the lighter side.

Her quote

“Old age is like a plane flying through a storm.  Once you’re aboard, there’s nothing you can do.”

  • Gold Meir

The Discussion

I suppose that Golda Meir, former prime minister of Israel was not a pilot.  I had some flight training, but I doubt if I would be very good at landing a jet.  In a storm?  Even less likely.

In looking at the three quotes above that promise us that God will be there in time of crisis, you might not want to use the first one in the situation described by Golda Meir.  You are about to crash and you comfort someone by telling them that God is there for those with a crushed spirit.

Wait!  Did you say crushed?  We are about the crash, and you bring up something about crushed?!  Really?!

Both Psalm 41:1 and Isaiah 41:10 are comforting.

As for Meir, she was used to being in charge, in control.  To have your fate established by another is off-putting at best.

But in a way, she describes old age in the same type language that we should approach God.

We should acknowledge that we are not in control.  If we were in control, like flying an airplane through a storm without any training …  Yeah, that kind of helplessness.

Then we can turn to God for help.  Where else?

When I first read this quote, I thought it rather funny.  But as I picture myself in that situation, I would be closer to God than I normally am.  It is so easy to sit in the easy chair and think about what you should be doing.  When you awaken from the unintended nap, you don’t have enough time to do what you should have done.

But when the plane is going down and the pilot is unconscious, if you have any wits to pull together at that moment, turning to God should be the right move.  Forget the couch.  The only good that the couch will provide is that the remains, if they find any, will have a calm look on their face.

I may sound like I am joking, but one day when I took a flying lesson, we practiced emergency maneuvers.  When we got back to the airport, the instructor said that I had to clean the limbs of the pine trees out of the landing gear before my lesson was over.

Yes, we got that close to crashing the airplane.  So, I know the feeling that Golda Meir was speaking of.

We are in a position that without Jesus in our heart it is a dire circumstance.  If we do not believe in Jesus, we do not see the danger.

The only solution is Jesus, but do you see the hazard?  Or are you relying on an expert pilot in the cockpit, when there is no one there?

I have confidence in Jesus.  I know that I would not be capable in such a storm.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory

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