I’m preaching in Louisiana this week. Yesterday I got on a direct flight (thank God for direct flights) to New Orleans, rented a car, and drove just outside of Baton Rouge to preach for a week long event called 4 Day Jesus.
I don’t know why, but on the plane yesterday, I remembered the first time I ever flew on an airplane. I get on planes all the time now to go preach, but remember, I’m from Moncks Corner, SC, and I didn’t get out much until I went to college and started traveling doing ministry.
So my first ever scheduled plane trip was from Greenville to Atlanta to Memphis (where I was preaching for a youth revival).
Jody, who is now my brother in law, was flying with me. And so I wasn’t nervous about it. He had been on lots of airplanes, and he knew the ropes.
At least he was supposed to fly with me. But he forgot his photo I.D. and had to book a later flight.
So I had to get on the plane all by myself.
And now I was very nervous.
I wasn’t nervous that the plane would crash. If that would have been my fear, Jody’s presence wouldn’t have mattered. He would crash too. That would be double sad.
I was scared I wouldn’t be able to find my way around the Atlanta airport to get on the next plane. See, I’m a directional idiot. My wife calls me her little compass. Chunks calls me Magellan. My friend Carl calls me a lemming. These cute little nicknames reflect the fact that I can’t find my way around anywhere. (For example, it’s 7 miles from the hotel to the church where I’m preaching this week. I probably won’t memorize the route the whole time I’m here. I’ll have to follow the Mapquest directions for every trip back and forth).
So navigating an airport by myself was very intimidating to me.
Now, on to some random takeaways from this experience:
1. It’s usually hard to do stuff, even normal/easy stuff like flying on a plane, for the first time, especially by yourself.
2. The first time you do something, you pay attention to all the details. I remember actually pulling out the instruction card in the pocket in the seat in front of me when the flight attendant told us to. Rookie.
3. It would be a shame to let an unreasonable fear keep you from doing something important. What if I’d never gotten on a plane because I might get lost in an airport? I would never have led Harry to Christ in China. There are thousands of people I would have never preached to all over the U.S. I would have missed out on some incredible vacations with my wife.
4. Always get an aisle seat and don’t check any baggage unless you absolutely have to. (Just thought I’d throw that in)
For the record, I’m now an airport expert. I now take the young rookies under my wing.
What do you need to do for the first time today?
It would be silly not to do it cause you’re scared.
Now I’m going to eat some fried Louisiana pork chops for lunch.
Thank God for airplanes.
