It's Not a Brick Wall, It's a Holding Pattern

Donnie Rosie - Unsplash

I absolutely enjoy flying! If the destination is more than a three-hour drive, I need a ticket! I live near the airport so there are always planes coming and going. Sometimes I sit on the porch and watch them head toward their destinations and drool over thoughts of my favorite vacation spots. That brings me to the script for this post. On a flight home from California, I was grateful that we were getting close to the airport since the flight had been a bit rocky. But I relaxed and entertained myself as it was just a matter of time before the captain would be giving us the “Hey folks, we’re approaching Charlotte International, flight crew, please prepare for landing” announcement. Well, he did make an announcement, but a very different one than we had expected. The captain told us that Air Traffic Control had placed us in a holding pattern and that he would let us know when we could begin our descent.

With that announcement, the atmosphere of the plane started to change immediately! Folk became antsy. For some, Charlotte was their final destination, but what was the reason for this delay? For others, the fear of missing their connecting flights was quite overt. You could hear the chatter. Which number were we in the queue? If they missed their connecting flight, when was the next one? Voices got louder and folk started gathering their personal items in anticipation of the possible rush that was ahead for them. And others like myself said, OK, there is a good reason we can’t land now. Let’s trust this process.

I continued to observe the distress of some of the passengers and thought to myself, well what if the pilot rejected the guidance of ATC and decided that he wasn’t going to follow the instruction because it had been a long flight from California and some folk were hungry and tired. Or, it may have been too inconvenient for some of the passengers to catch another connecting flight so he was going to land anyhow because it was our scheduled time to arrive. How many people would have been on their cell phones, texting family, and telling them to sue the airline if they were killed? Others would have been tweeting and texting the media blasting the pilot and the airline for putting them with such a deranged individual! I learned that there are several reasons that ATC will place flights in a holding pattern.

Johannes Plenio - Unsplash

Thunderstorms — Depending on where they are in relation to the plane, airport, and speed of the storm, they may warrant the holding pattern. The danger of landing in a thunderstorm lies in the instability of the wind. In life, we will experience stormy times that cause us to feel unstable, tossed about, and even

drenched. Scripture reminds us that we are to be like the wise person who builds his house on solid rock and though the storms come and beat against the house it won’t collapse. Sometimes Abba will place us in a holding pattern until the storm passes over and we can regain our bearings. Ishan@seefromthesky - Unsplash

Low Visibility — Pilots depend on the instruments and their visibility. In good weather, a pilot can navigate by looking out the window. They can see the aircraft in front of them and adjust their distance but in clouds or in night flying, they depend a lot more on the instruments. We are not all-seeing as Abba is. He is always aware of everything that pertains to our welfare and may place us in a holding pattern to keep us from falling into unknown pits and traps. For example, you planned to purchase a home in what you thought was your dream neighborhood but you were denied a loan. Down the road, you discover that the neighborhood’s water supply has had recurrent challenges with pollution from Duke Energy. Initially, you were bummed out, but now you thank the Lord for that closed door. Or were offered an opportunity to relocate for a new job that didn’t pan out. In hindsight, you are grateful because you didn’t see the pitfall that came along with it. Scripture tells us that a man may plan his life but the Lord has the final say. (Prov.16:9) Abba may put our plans on hold because we can’t see far enough down the road to make the best decision.

Chuttersnap - Unsplash

Flow Control - If you have flown before from small and larger international airports, you know that check-in times differ because of the number of passengers that flow out of and into larger airports. Some major airports operate at maximum capacity all the time and are more congested at holidays and major events. Just as there’s congestion on the ground inside, there can be air traffic congestion as well. Unlike driving, when you’re stuck in air traffic, there are no detours or back roads to take. You simply have to sit and be patient. Sometimes Abba places us in a holding pattern to help us to learn to wait. Even as adults we can have the patience of a toddler. We want Abba to hurry up and listen, hurry up and answer, and hurry up and get me out of this situation that I don’t want to be in. Scripture encourages us to let patience have her perfect work in us so that we may become mature, that is to wait with a good attitude, trusting God’s wisdom and what he wants to bring to fruition in us.

Although each flight’s path and arrival time are calculated and scheduled, there are things beyond the airline’s and pilot’s control. In the holding pattern, each passenger was placed in a position to continue to trust in the pilot and the ATC team to ensure that we all arrived safely even if not on time. That got me thinking about the ancient Greeks who had two words to express time. Chronos represents the quantitative calculation of time. This is the orderly and predictable way we operate in time to come up with our checklists, plans, goals, and other data as it pertains to hours, days, and years. The other expression of time is called Kairos which means “opportune moment”, the right time, the right moment, or the appointed time. This is the time that God operates in as God is timeless and is certainly non-linear. Chronos time limits our scope, Kairos time opens our scope to embrace God’s wisdom and his best. We’re encouraged to trust in the Lord and not depend on our own understanding. Seek His will in all we do, and he will show us which path to take. (Prov.3:3–6) There will be times when we will wonder if Abba heard our prayers, and if so, when will he answer. We may feel like we are stagnant and just not making enough progress. Keep in mind, we are not privy to everything that’s in God’s mind. But just as we trust that our pilot will get us to our destination, we must trust that Abba will do the same with his plans for our lives.

Of course, eventually, the plane landed. Some folk may have missed their connecting flights and were inconvenienced. Some folks’ ride home may have had to circle around the airport a time or two and used a little more gas than expected. But most importantly, we landed safely. We may not like the feeling of being in life’s holding patterns, but learning to release control into capable hands is valuable.

Always encouraging reflection,

WandaP