Wart Hogs, O2s, OV 10"s And A Good Flight Plan

 "All the ways of humanity are pure in each ones own eyes.  But the LORD weighs the spirits.  Commit your works to the LORD and your thoughts will be established." Proverbs 16:1-2 

Back in the day when I was still wearing the blue suit, ran 4 to 6 miles a day, was a whole lot lighter, and I had darker and more voluminous hair; I served as the Chaplain for the 549th Squadron located at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.  (Located close to Cape Canaveral.)  The 549th was a "Wart Hog" squadron.  Now before you think we were pig farmers, let me tell you that this weird name "Wart Hog" was the name for one of the most vicious subsonic  tank killers around.  I am talking, of course, about the A10 subsonic bomber.  

The 549th also was the home of O2s and OV10s.   These were the Forward Air Controllers who put their lives on the line "up front" and unarmed to insure that the jets and "boots on the ground" were in position, had a good battlefield perspective and could see what was coming from their blind side. Without the FAC, there could be no close air support, and many a battle would not have been won by the good old US of A if they had not been "there."

At any rate, occasionally I would hop in one of those little old FAC planes and fly up into clouds for a look around with one of our Veteran Pilots.  One day I made a huge mistake.  I told the Pilot that I would like to learn to fly "some day."  Notice I did NOT say "today." I am absolutely sure I DID NOT say "today."  The Pilot took my comment to mean, "today and right now!" He immediately responded by saying, "Here Chaplain the plane is yours."  Now when the plane started to nose dive and head for Planet Earth, I kind of got a wee bit nervous,  but the Pilot pointed me quickly to one of those many instruments located directly in front of me.  He called it an "artificial horizon indicator."  Basically it looked like a planes wings that were on a significant angle; however, he showed me how to line up the wings on the instrument panel with the artificial horizon on the gauge.  So, I followed his instructions until we were flying level.  

Understand now a very important point or so:  Many Pilots, while flying, have become disoriented.  What seemed "up" was actually "down."  What seemed to be "down" looked "up."   Now if you are flying at a few thousand feet in the air, and if you confuse "up" with "down" and down with "up"...."Houston you have a problem."  If you do not get yourself oriented, you will be experiencing a significant emotional event.  In the past folks have died because of this confusion.  This getting disoriented at high altitudes is a definite possibility, and for some it was a reality that caused a fatal mistake.

However, Pilots do not trust their senses so much as they trust their instruments.  They trust the Artificial Horizon Indicator because it indicates exactly the relationship between the planes wings and the actual horizon.   They especially do this when flying in clouds when they cannot get a fix on which way is indeed which way... what is true and what is untrue.  And no matter how cloudy the situation, everyone in the plane is safe due to this accurate indicator of right and wrong.

Now I need to tell you a little something on the side but that fits right into this blog:  When a pilot first uses the AHI, there are those times when and his/her whole being screams that "up" is "up"  (but the indicator disagrees) and the plane is  actually "down."  Every feeling says "This cannot be right!"  For survival sake the Pilot goes on faith that the AHI is right, and the feelings are way off from reality.  "Why?".... because those in the plane will NOT survive if the Pilot does not trust the AHI and go on faith that the indicator is correct.  Without this Pilot operating on faith, those in the plane will be wrecked forever.  Because of someone choosing to NOT believe, wreckage of human life occurs.

This really speaks to me when I think about how  God's wisdom indicates the reality of what "is."  And human reality  indicates what seems to be true "in each ones eyes-" or "feels right." Many do not trust what God teaches through God's Son.  They trust their own senses, and sadly many make a wreckage of their lives and their friends and families lives.  They do not put their faith in God nor God's Word, and then when they are in trouble they ask "why did God let this happen?"  The wreckage of their lives occurred because they ignored God's indicators.  God told the truth.  God spoke reality to give life, but the truth was ignored.

Let me say this another way.  All our ways may seem right to us, but only God can know what is best for us as we navigate the cloud banks and the storms of everyday living that, quite frankly, are too much for us.  Trying to run our lives is like trying to fly a plane through a cloud bank without a horizon indicator.  In doing this, we are in the wrong relationship with creation and its creator. 

We need to believe in God's instruments that sets us right and keeps us on a good flight path.  We need to believe in God's Word, meditate on God's Word, reflect on God's Word, receive God's Son  (Jesus) who is the Word.  We need to habitually be in conversation with our "Control Tower" & Creator. And we need to pay attention to God's directional system that will take us along a healthy/holy flight path.... a flight path that will keep us more level and balanced each day and get us "home" safely. Again, this is a matter of faith.  Trust the Lord.  Trust God's Word.  Trust Jesus for salvation.  Believe and do not perish but have eternal life. 

Thought: 

 Be vertically right with God. Be horizontally right with your fellow human beings.  Trust God's guidance system,  and  have a good flight today.

Shalom

AL