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“Flying Into the Storm”
Categories: Author: David Carrozza, Elder Articles
The recent tragic events involving airplanes and air travel, combined with the snowstorm Wednesday, brought to memory a compelling story from a few years ago involving a family who dropped everything, going not knowing, walking by faith, trusting God and his people all for the sake of helping a fatherless child.
Their story has taught many and served as another example continuing the inspired stories and examples from the Bible itself.
Late on a Friday afternoon in mid-December, Laura answered a call. “There’s a baby that has just been born in Los Angeles.” The caller paused…” Okay…” was the only reply. “Are you and Nick still willing to go?”
The “still willing” reflected this “possibility” in a call from a month ago. When the possibility was shared, Laura and her husband Nick said, “Yes…if needed we would love to help this child and her mother.” At the time it was just a hypothetical. This day, this call was for real.
Laura’s answer was the same, “Yes…let me call Nick. He’s driving home from work right now.” That call took maybe three minutes. Sometimes life-changing decisions happen and are made this fast. They reflect, however, a mindset and resolution that took place long before the moment of decision appears.
Laura returned the call within half an hour. “Nick says yes! We’re making calls and working on everything right now. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”
Two hours later, Laura called again. “We’re in the car heading to the Denver airport. There’s a winter storm coming in. I think we got the last flight out before they close everything down.” It was an amazing accomplishment to have made all the arrangements necessary to drop everything, including finding a member of the church that lived nearby to take care of their three-year-old daughter for an unknow period of time. Nick made arrangements with his employer, they called brothers and sisters for prayers and of course all the packing for a journey that only had a point of entry and no other details about who, where, what or for how long they were going or staying.
In fact we have “special forces”, first responder couples in our midst who have done very similar things in a moments notice.
As Nick and Laura drove in the snow, there were a few answers she still needed to hear. It started with the one thing they did know, “We’re flying into LAX.” Where are we going from there? What hospital is the mother and baby at? Where will we stay? Any idea of how the mother is doing or how long we might be at the hospital?” Laura hoped to hear details on all these questions, but all she heard was, “I’ll figure that out while you’re in the air.”
Flying into the storm, going not knowing, walking in faith, practicing pure religion by caring for the fatherless. Depending on God’s providence through his people, relying on answered prayers and answering the call. We call people that GO on a moment’s notice, “Seal Team Six” couples.
The Bible has recorded many “Special Forces” people. Abram, who left his homeland in faith, going not knowing. Joshua and Caleb who trusted God in spite of everyone else’s fear, Rahab, who took the risk to hide the spies because of her belief that Jehovah would destroy her city while protecting her life by cooperating with his people. Abraham, when he received the shocking call to sacrifice his son, did not delay but rose the next morning and left for Moriah. There was also Noah who grabbed his tools and began building a boat.
There are so many more as you may be thinking of now but for me these stories touch home with Isaiah’s response to God’s need and God’s call, “Here am I, send me!”
We, individually and collectively, as God’s “called out” people have a calling. To go, to serve, to make disciples, to care, to have an answer for our hope, to teach and edify, to be a light to the world. Not all calls are as dramatic as Nick and Laura’s but their answering their call began by being prepared in many different ways.
We will, Lord willing, have many ways to serve and answer calls this year at Veteran’s Parkway. Let’s get ready to say, “Here am I send me.”
