By God’s Grace, I am…

Since I was a little boy, I have dreamed of having the opportunity to work around airplanes every day.

More importantly, for years I have dreamed of working on the Lord’s airplanes. I have laid in my bed many nights, imagining what it would be like if I was waking up the next morning to go to work in a place where missionaries served other missionaries and repaired their airplanes. I dreamed of being a part of it. I hoped someday I could. More recently, months have passed where I began to doubt if it was God’s plan. I began to question if I’d gotten it wrong somewhere. But as Ron Block wrote in his song “A Living Prayer”,

“In your love, I find … a haven from my unbelief.”

I am silenced in awe of how God takes our life and uses us, even though we are so weak. I regret the times I have been unwilling to extend my faith beyond what I could see and understand. In spite of me, God uses me and works out His perfect plan. This is today’s proof:

Yesterday and this morning were entirely orientation training. Basically, I sat in meetings. The environment in an airplane repair shop is one of precision and accountability, so it is important that every member knows his function. Therefore, orientation is important even though it’s not particularly exciting. This afternoon, though, was different.

I didn’t realize it at as it was happening, but what I did this afternoon was the realization of all those daydreams and night dreams. I sat at a bench in MMS Aviation’s hangar, as an MMS mechanic, working on airplane parts for a missionary airplane. What I did was tiny in God’s grand scheme, but for me it was momentous.

I am a missionary airplane mechanic.

Really?

Yep. Bona fide. Well, let’s qualify that. So far I’ve only made it through my second day. I haven’t even finished all the orientation. I’ve barely scratched the surface of shop policies and methods. I’m as green as a dollar bill. But still…

The most exciting thing to me is that God is just getting started in our life. We’re not even 30 years old yet. I look beyond this hill to whole range of mountains God has for us to climb. They are obscured by the fog of the future, but I know my God has already climbed those mountains and has left a path for me. He’s waiting at the top of each one, ready to give me strength to go on. I also know that on the last mountain, the one that waits clear at the end of the line, He has a mansion prepared for me. My ticket is purchased with blood, and I’m going to live there. Are you?

I leave you with the song I referenced earlier. Here it is beautifully sung by a father-daughter duo, Hugh P and Maria Doherty. Listen to it, and make it your prayer too.