On a flight from Chicago to Manchester, New Hampshire this evening I passed the time by listening to the conversation between our pilot and the flight controllers. It is delightful when the pilot makes that available over the headsets at one’s seat. About 75 miles west of Manchester I heard them instruct our pilot to fly the vectors for landing on runway 24. Since we were flying from Chicago I knew we were roughly on a heading of 090. That meant we would have to fly past Manchester and then turn around so we could land facing west.
It was just like watching the lives of some of my students. I know from the direction they are going if they are going to graduate they are going to have to turn around. The analogy not only applies to students but also to most of us with bad habits. If we are going to live a long abundant life we sometimes have to make radical changes in our present course.
Sometimes airplanes miss their approach and have to come around and try again. Sometimes we have to try again and again to get it right. Jesus said in Luke 17:3-4, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” If Jesus instructs us to do this so will He also do it for us. No matter how many times it takes, keep on trying.
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 8, 2002
Spring of Life, 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453