January 2018

We were on an airplane that wasn’t flying. It was supposed to be in the air.

A 6:50am flight with a tight connection in Orlando. It had started with a surprisingly positive announcement that the flight wasn’t full (a rarity these days). We boarded quickly. Ready to get the show on the road.

And then, we sat there. 10 minutes. Then, 15 minutes.

Eventually, the pilot wandered out, socializing and explaining we had to ‘drop some fuel’ because we were heavy.

It sounded like it was happening. It wasn’t. We just sat there.

The flight attendants chatted about their weekends, their home bases, and their activity while in Ft. Lauderdale. Meanwhile, the chances of catching our connection decreased with every passing minute.

I heard a passenger leave his seat. He approached the flight attendants.

He, too, had a connection. He shared how frustrating this experience felt. His perspective was that this plane had sat there overnight. The necessary preparation to take off had hours to have taken place. The freight wasn’t a new piece of information.

Their reaction was, “Things happen. We’re frustrated too.” Then he said something that struck me…
“Yes, I understand. However, you have to understand my perspective. While I paid for this flight, this is your job.”

This. Is. Your. Job.

This airline is a system of complex parts. Its existence is to enable passengers to conduct an activity in their life that is important. So important, in fact, they’ve paid a good amount of money to do it. It requires they get people to their destination safely, and on time.

The flight attendants’ perspective was “We’re all in this together”. They had highlighted, “we are frustrated too.” How often I slide into the same perspective – “I am suffering too” forgetting who I am in service to.

As a mother, I often feel worn out, frustrated, tired. I feel like the sacrifice of time, sleep and energy is more than I signed up for. But, the point is…I. Signed. Up.

This. Is. My. Job.

This doesn’t mean that mothers sacrifice who we are. It does mean we remember who we are in service to. We have passengers on our plane who are relying on us to get them from here to there safely, with love and guidance that will ensure they are prepared for the destination when they get off of the plane.

At times, we’ll all be frustrated, but we aren’t allowed to have a ‘group wallow’ and remain there. We are called to do more.

Take a checkpoint: When you wake up, where does your mind go? Who are you in service to? Yourself? Your family? God?

Often – when we elevate to place our mind on God, we avoid feeling taken advantage of and worn out. That’s because we serve a higher purpose. A God who truly knows us, loves us and wants the best for us. By placing our hearts there, we find the best way to balance our needs and the needs of others.