Layovers, Flying, and People..

It’s been a beautiful and interesting day. I’ve been sitting in an airport for about four and a half hours, listening to Switchfoot, writing down my thoughts and just observing and absorbing everything and everyone around me. A blessed day.
Woke up at around 7:40 AM to a text from my friend asking if my flight was delayed! I was quite groggy due sickness and the fact that I had been unable to fall asleep until like 4… BUT I woke up and got ready, had my dad check for the flight. Everything was on time and I headed off to the airport with my dad and my little brother, who we had to drop off at his elementary school. We were a bit late, surprising right? (#IndianProblems) And so we were rushing and my dad took the wrong turn, and so he started speeding. This car was pulling out of a driveway and we didn’t see it. We almost hit it and if we had, it would’ve been really bad. My dad managed to swerve out of the way just in time. It was the closest I’ve ever been to an accident, but I saw God’s hand in keeping us safe. People tend to attribute that to luck but I don’t think I believe in luck. I think the will of God is so amazing and we can’t comprehend or accept it so we call it luck or destiny or fate or whatever other silly word we can think of.

Well, once I got to the airport, I went straight to security since I had already checked in online. Oh by the way, I’m taking the flight to Charlotte. I’m spending a couple days in North Carolina with my roommate for Spring Break. Well anyways, it was my first time on a plane by myself so it was interesting just to see how I deal with things since the last time I was on a plane was almost six years ago. It’s so interesting to me to see how much I’ve changed over the past couple years. I never really give much thought to the way we work but now that I think about it, it truly is amazing. I’ve become comfortable with the world I live in, confident and independent in the way I carry myself. And honestly, I have to thank God for where has brought me, for all the people and circumstances He has put in my life to make me the person I am right now. Now don’t get me wrong, I am nowhere near perfect but at the same time, much has changed. I’ve changed in a lot of good ways and in many bad ways as well. People tend to shy away from the bad changes but honestly, isn’t that part of life? Although quite cliché, we are human. And as someone once told me, “you can’t have the good without the bad”. But through it all, I believe God deserves the glory!

Back to my story, I got on the plane; it wasn’t too long of a wait and I was lucky enough to get the window seat and I could see the wing in front of me from where I was sitting! I am honestly fascinated by planes and the very idea of flying. It’s such a wonderful feat. How is it that this huge metal alloy vehicle that probably weighs tens of thousands of pounds by itself can carry about fifty people like 30,000 feet in the air? It just blows my mind. My favorite parts of the flight are taking off and when the pilot turns the plane. The feeling you get when you see and feel the plane turning and tilting is just plane (I’m so punny) sick. Takeoff is just like a huge roller coaster (I LOVE roller coasters!) and the feeling you get when you just see the ground fall away beneath you is surreal! I took off from Newark International and it was quiet cloudy and dreary, we ascended right into clouds so everything was white around me. (Reminded me of this past summer when we were surrounded by clouds on top of Mt. Algonquin in the Adirondacks of upstate NY *nostalgia*.) I looked away from the window for about a minute and I look back and BOOM, quite possibly one of the most majestic sights ever: the plane was completely above the clouds and there was nothing but clear. BEAUTIFUL. blue sky (for those of you who don’t really know me that well, a clear blue sky is one of my favorite sights in the world) and all I could see of the plane was the wing. So, of course, I took a picture with intention of Instagramming it :) I then continued to watch out the window, awestruck at God’s creation. It’s a whole different perspective from up there. What an amazing world we live in, and to think that God spoke the universe into being…wow, there are truly no words to explain the awe of such a reality. Being on a plane also literally and figuratively separates you from the rest of the world. It gives you time to think and contemplate and be still.

Well I landed at Charlotte at exactly 12:03 PM. The flight was on time and it did not feel like an hour and a half at all. *Quick context: I’m staying at my roommate’s house and there are three of us besides him going. All of us took different flights and mine got here first. My roommate’s flight got delayed so he isn’t going to get here until like 7PM so I have plenty of free time.* so first thing I did was called mom and dad to let them know I got here safely. Then I proceeded to walk around the airport for about twenty five minutes, just taking in all the sights and sounds, checking out the different food places and the general setting of the airport. It is a really nice airport. I am currently sitting on a white rocking chair under a small, shady tree, looking out, through a large completely-windowed wall, at all the aircrafts landing, taxi-ing, docking, and taking off, and also, there’s a moving sidewalk between me and the window-wall so I’m people watching as well. I’ve probably seen more than a hundred people walk by of different sizes and shapes and colors. It’s so interesting watch their facial expressions and their demeanor in general. So many are rushing, worrying, scrapping for time and so far I’ve seen only two people just enjoy the sights around them and take their time. One was a very old, kind-looking man and the other was a blonde little boy. The old man was wearing a very nice brown jacket with those patches on the elbows and he had his hand on the handles(?) as he let the moving sidewalk carry him slowly. I don’t think he could’ve rushed if he wanted to because his body wouldn’t have let him but still he wasn’t grumpy. He had a small smile on his face that you couldn’t notice unless you actually looked at him. It’s always an encouragement for me to see people like him because I feel they have been through much in life and have learned the importance of appreciating life as it is. And then there was the little boy, he was having the time of his life on the moving sidewalk, it was obvious he was quite fascinated by it, he had both his arms stretched out on either side and was just smiling with glee. I love children. They are always so happy and find the smallest things to be so fascinating and they are such a great reminder that no matter what, there’s always something to smile about. And finally, there is the lady who took my order today. She just emanated joy and she asked me what I wanted with a smile. I love people like her, people who, no matter where they are in life, live with a smile and joy. You see, unlike these three people I pointed out, most of us are constantly worrying about something we forgot, something we have to do, a meeting (or in this case, a plane) we’re late for. We don’t have time to look at the world around us that is waiting for us to notice and to make us smile; we don’t have time to breathe and to live. We simply exist. I am definitely one of those people even though I’d like to be someone who lives. Frankly, I am SICK and TIRED of just existing, I want to LIVE, to the FULLEST, and only Jesus Christ offers that kind of life. And some of you are probably thinking, there he goes with Jesus again. But really though, when is the last time the world offered you satisfaction and fulfillment and actually came through except MAYBE for a temporary period of time. Yes, it’s incredibly hard to follow Him, to give up all control and all desires, but He promises satisfaction and fulfillment. He gave up being God for you and me. He became a MAN for you and me. He lived the perfect life for you and me. He DIED for YOU and ME. He died a CRUEL, SHAMEFUL, UNFAIR, painful death. In the words of Isaiah 52:14

His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness

…marred beyond human likeness. Wow. I can’t even IMAGINE what that means. The Cross is the most powerful picture and REALITY of the LOVE of God for his creation, us humans. So when Christ offers me life to the fullest, I’ll take it from him. It’s time to give it up to Him and stop acting like we have it all under control because well, we don’t.
So really, take a minute. Breathe. Think. Let go of all that is holding you down. Give it up to the God who is waiting to help you. I promise you two things: it’ll be the hardest thing you ever do but it will most definitely also be the MOST satisfying choice ever.


“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
- Ephesians 5:14


He’s waiting with arms WIDE open.
“We were meant to live for SO much more, but we’ve lost ourselves.”