Kim Wilbanks

A Window Seat View

I was fortunate enough to snag a window seat on a recent flight from Dallas to New Orleans. It was a beautiful, sunny day — not a cloud in the sky and the view was amazing. I was traveling alone so with no one to talk to, I did a lot of thinking.

First of all, can we just agree that Dallas is vast? As our jet climbed and the houses below shrank, there seemed to be endless neighborhoods, schools, and shopping centers. I saw hundreds of cars and trucks going in all directions on a network of roadways. Two or three large highway interchanges reminded me of giant bowls of spaghetti dumped on the ground. I marvel at the skill of engineers who figure out how to build such interchanges. 

It was a short flight; for most of it, we were above a patchwork of farms and pastureland.

As we got closer to New Orleans, the mighty Mississippi came into view. You could appreciate the size of the river because the barges traveling along the river looked like toy boats a child might play with in the bathtub. There were many bends in the river that the barges had to navigate. 

I contemplated my birds-eye view of the earth below me. Perhaps it is somewhat like a “Gods-eye” view of my life.

The folks traveling along the highway only knew where they were going by following the signs, and their cell phone’s GPS, or perhaps they trusted the memory of the route they drive every day. They know what to expect, at least as long as everything is going according to plans. The ones who were unfamiliar with the road, like my friends and I were as we drove around Dallas last March, did not necessarily know where they were going. 

But, I could see them from my perch a few thousand feet above. I could see that one part of the spaghetti bowl of a road led those cars away from Dallas and that the school bus on that road was heading toward a subdivision. I could see in the distance that the traffic was heavy and coming to a standstill.

As we flew into New Orleans I wondered if the captains of the huge barges on the Mississippi knew what was just around the bend. Of course, they too have GPS and radio communication, but, if they had never navigated that particular part of the river, they may not have known what to expect. Like that little nuisance of an airboat bopping along. But, I could see from my aerial perch.

Back Down To Earth

Life is a journey. We don’t know what is ahead. We can follow the signs and trust the guidance of God, yet there is still so much we don’t know until we get there.

As I reflect on my life, I realize so much I dreamed of came to pass. I have experienced love and marriage. I did get to enjoy raising a family and being a mom — my favorite role. And, joy upon joy, I get to be a grandmother. I have traveled to amazing places and have been healthy enough to do so. I have been able to encourage and help people. 

So, why am I so often discontent? My experience on the flight from Dallas to New Orleans gave me a clue.

While I have experienced most of the things I have longed for, the details of my life have not always been what I expected or even desired. You see, I had a plan for my life, how I thought things should go. The problem is, I could only see what was directly in front of me, not the ultimate outcome. I had a path I wanted to travel and I can guarantee it was the scenic one.

A God’s Eye View

But God sees the big picture, the “God’s eye view”. He sees the road I’m on, where I’m going, and what obstacles are coming up. He knows when I’ve taken a wrong turn and have gone the wrong way and like my friend who picked me up from the airport, put me on the right path after letting me know He was recalculating. I wonder how many times I have missed the true scenic path by insisting on going my own way. What blessings have I missed?

Many people choose a word for the year at the beginning of each new year. I have done so in the past. The word that came to me this year is release. I guess I’m a slow learner since I’m most likely in the third quarter of my life but I realize now that it is time for me to let go of the idea of what I think my life should look like. I need to release those plans to God. He sees the big picture and has equipped me with the tools I need to trust and follow Him. After all, He knows a little bit more than I do. 

I don’t know what’s ahead. I’m in unfamiliar territory. My life isn’t the tidy little story I expected it to be. But God knows and has told me again and again in His word that I can trust Him to get me safely home.

How about you? Have you come to a point in your life where you have released your plans to the Lord? How did it feel? I’d love to hear.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.       Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV)